Unforgettable
by Jessica B
Summary: Sam and Dean meet a girl with a past she would love to forget, and it's connected to theirs. (Dean/OFC) - A/N: Please review. Good or bad, any feedback is appreciated.
1. Chapter 1

Dean Winchester sat at a bar in a town just outside of Seattle. He and Sam had just taken out a werewolf, and after a long day and several hours of driving they needed a break. Sam opted to stay at the motel, but Dean was looking to unwind. He watched the people around him as he drank his beer. He had options tonight. Lots of gorgeous, single ladies. One in particular drew his attention. She was brunette, and she sat alone at a corner table in the back of the bar. He grabbed his beer as he stepped down from the bar stool. As he got closer to her he saw her relaxed posture. She was leaning back, legs crossed, one arm on the table with her hand wrapped around a beer bottle. She had her eyes on the room and they never wavered as he sat down across from her.

"What's a pretty girl like you doing alone in a dark corner?" She continued to stare out into the bar as if he wasn't even there. "Cat got your tongue?"

"Not interested," she said, her eyes never looking in his direction.

"Ah, she speaks... Can I get you another beer?"

"What part of 'not interested' don't you understand?"

"The part where you haven't even looked at me to know if I'm interesting or not," he said, trying to get a laugh, or a smile... something.

"Saw you at the bar. Not interested."

Dean's face fell a little. He rarely got a flat out rejection. His pride was more than a little bruised.

"Well, something's got you interested," he pointed out as she continued to stare into the crowded bar. "You wanna share?"

"Not really." Her posture straightened and she stood from her chair, finally looking at Dean. "There's a blonde over there who's been sizing you up since you got here. Maybe you should try getting into her pants instead of mine." She walked out of the bar without even a backward glance.

Dean turned to get a look at the blonde she pointed out. She smiled at him from across the room, and he nodded back with a big toothy grin. He turned back to the table as he stood, and the little bit of light in the corner reflected off of the beer bottle the brunette had left behind, catching his attention. He lifted the bottle. It was full.

He glanced around the bar, trying to see if he could figure out what held her attention. He couldn't.

"Weird girl."

He put the bottle back on the table and headed over to the blonde. He wouldn't let it ruin his night.

Dean stumbled into the motel room around 3:00 am. He kicked off his shoes and laid down on top of the covers, falling asleep with a satisfied smile on his face. Sam woke him up the next morning.

"I got a call from Bobby. A friend of his was tracking a djinn in the area. Told Bobby he'd call and he hasn't."

"So, what, Bobby wants us to find him?"

"Yeah."

"Great." He dragged himself out of bed. "Let me grab a shower first. Had a late night."

Sam filled Dean in on the details as they drove to the address Bobby gave them. Alan, Bobby's hunter friend, was headed to an abandoned warehouse a couple of hours outside of town. When they arrived they went to the trunk. Each of them dipped a silver knife in lamb's blood.

"Ready?" Dean asked.

"Ready."

They made their way through the empty halls of the warehouse, checking the rooms as they went. They exchanged looks when they heard grunting. It sounded like a woman's voice. They picked up their pace as they headed toward the sound. It grew louder as they approached a large double door. They burst through to find a woman standing over a body on the floor. She quickly spun around toward them and Dean's eyes widened.

"You..."

"Sorry, boys. Looks like you missed this one."

Dean watched as the brunette from the bar walked toward them. She was wearing a green top under a form-fitting leather jacket, dark blue jeans and boots. The knife in her hand was covered in blood. Sam was still on guard, knife at the ready. His eyes darted between Dean and the girl.

"You're a hunter?" Dean asked.

"Yeah," she said in a tone that suggested it should be obvious.

Sam lowered his knife a little. "You know her?"

"I ran into her last night at the bar."

"No, you hit on me last night at the bar."

"You were tracking it last night, weren't you?"

She nodded. "It was the bartender."

"Dean," Sam interrupted, "we have to find Alan."

"Right," Dean said, turning back to the girl. "You see anyone around here other than the djinn?"

"There are a couple of people in the other room."

"Alive?"

"Hard to tell. Follow me."

They found Alan hanging by his tied wrists, a needle in his neck drawing blood into a bag. The bag looked dry. Sam put his fingers against Alan's neck.

"He's dead."

Dean made his way to the other guy hanging in the same way as Alan. Dean felt a pulse.

"This one's alive."

"I'll call in an anonymous tip when I'm out of town," said the brunette.

"You're just gonna leave them here?" Dean asked.

"I can't help these guys anymore. The cops will come with EMT's."

"We don't work that way, sweetheart. We're gonna get this guy to a hospital and give Alan a hunter's funeral."

"Suit yourselves."

As Sam and Dean worked to cut the men down, the girl left. By the time they were done, she was nowhere in sight.

They dropped the injured man off at the entrance to the nearest emergency room. A quick call to Bobby gave them the okay to go ahead with a hunter's funeral for Alan. As they cleaned up, Sam started asking about the girl.

"Did you get her name?"

"Nope."

"That's not the girl you hooked up with last night."

"No."

"But she said you hit on her."

Dean was quiet as he packed up the trunk.

"Dean..."

"What?"

"Did she turn you down?"

"Shut up. She was working. Other circumstances, she'd have said yes."

He slammed the trunk and got behind the wheel, starting the car. Sam couldn't suppress the grin on his face. Dean's ego made him a little obnoxious sometimes, especially when it came to women. Sam couldn't help but feel proud of the girl who turned him down... whatever her reason may have been.


	2. Chapter 2

Five months later the guys were tracking a rogue vampire. It was rare, but some vampires didn't like belonging to a nest. They stayed on the move, traveling solo. This one seemed to be causing more damage than a typical rogue vamp. Rogues usually kept a low profile since they had no back up. Not this one. Bodies were popping up pretty consistently, drained of blood, in random cities along the interstate. It made tracking a little easier, but they couldn't figure out where he would go next.

They finally caught a break when they were passing through a town in Nebraska. They stumbled upon the crime scene and knew immediately it was the work of the vamp they were after. They began searching the area for any place a vamp would call home, even temporarily, and discovered an out of the way cabin.

Dean parked far enough away that the vampire wouldn't hear his car. They made their way to the cabin, machetes in hand. Dean motioned for Sam to stay low as they approached the door, but they both stood straight when the door opened and the mysterious brunette walked out. The large blade in her right hand was covered in blood.

"Looks like I beat you again."

She walked past them, almost as if they weren't even there. Sam called after her.

"Wait a sec."

She turned around with an annoyed look and waited for Sam to continue.

"You took that vamp out alone?"

"Yeah.I

"It killed a 250 pound fitness trainer."

"So?"

Sam realized he wasn't getting anywhere, so he tried again.

"Okay, let's start over. I'm..."

"Look," she interrupted, "I don't mean to be rude, but I don't really care who you are. I work alone, and I don't trust random hunters."

She turned and walked away, heading in the opposite direction the boys would be going to get back to the car. Dean had watched the entire exchange in silence. When Sam turned back to him with a look that said "what the hell," Dean only had one thing to say.

"I don't think I like that chick."

They decided to hang it up at Bobby's for a few days. Dean thought Bobby might know who the girl was. He and Sam described her as best as they could, but, without a name, Bobby just wasn't sure. He knew a few brunette hunters, but none of them hunted solo, as far as he could remember.

"So you've run into her twice now?"

"Twice on a job. The first time I saw her was in a bar... though it turned out she was tracking that djinn."

"Three times then?"

"Yeah."

"Am I the only one whose alarms are goin' off?"

"Bobby," Dean said, "you know we all feel the same way about coincidences, but I honestly think that's all it is. She's always there before us, and she leaves and treats us like we're interfering."

"Dean's right, Bobby. It doesn't feel like she's after us or anything."

"This girl's definitely a hunter. Plays it real close to the vest. She barely says two words, unless she's telling us off."

Bobby grinned at Dean. "Sounds like she's gettin' under your skin, boy."

"She's a Grade A bitch, if you ask me, and I hope we never see her again."

The next few cases Sam and Dean worked, they kept an eye out for the girl. They expected her at every turn. They never saw her. Several months passed and they eventually forgot about her.

They were back at Bobby's after handling a low level possession in Colorado. Dean had just gotten up when his phone rang. He scrambled to pulled it out of his jeans and checked the caller ID. He didn't recognize the number.

"Hello?"

"Dean Winchester?" asked a female voice.

"Who wants to know?"

"An old friend of John's."

Dean hesitated for just a moment. "Who is this?"

"My name is Kathleen. John told me several years ago that you could help me if I ever needed it... well, I need help."

"Where are you?"

"I'm in Chicago now, but I can meet you somewhere."

"Let's meet up half way. My brother and I will head to you, you head to us. South Dakota. I have your number on my ID so I'll call you once we've made some miles."

"No, I'm calling from a public phone. I'll call you."

The call was disconnected. Dean stared at his phone and shook his head. He shook Sam to wake him up and told him about the phone call. After talking to Bobby, they agreed they should check it out, but they would be prepared for a trap. After all, John had been dead for a few years. Why would someone be calling now, mentioning his name?

Later that night Kathleen called Dean again with her location. She wanted to meet in public. There was a pub where she was. She gave Dean the address along with a time to meet.

"I'll get there before you and get a table, then call you to tell you which one so you'll know who I am."

She hung up before Dean could respond. "Well, she sounds pleasant."

"Sounds like she's running," Sam said.

"Yeah, maybe. But from what?"

Another call from Kathleen came fifteen minutes before their scheduled meeting time.

"When you come in head left. I'm at the table all the way in the back."

"Got it."

They made it to the pub a few minutes early, and went straight to the table. Dean rolled his eyes when he saw the brunette at the table.

"You've got to be kidding me."

Kathleen looked up in surprise. "You're Dean Winchester? John's son?"

"The one and only."

Sam and Dean sat at her table. Dean noticed she had a beer again, but he hadn't seen her drink from it since they walked in.

"First things first," Dean said. "How do you know our dad?"

"He saved my life."

"When?"

"About fifteen years ago."

"You must have been a teenager," Sam said.

"I was."

They waited for her to elaborate. When she didn't, Dean started asking more questions.

"What do you need our help with?"

"Not here. I have a motel room a few miles from here. Follow me there and I'll fill you in."

Sam and Dean exchanged a look. Sam nodded and Dean agreed. They followed her out and climbed in the Impala. The pulled out of the parking lot, following her car.


	3. Chapter 3

Sam and Dean sat on one of the beds in Kathleen's motel room. She sat across from them on the other. Dean wanted to hear more about how she was connected to his dad, but first he wanted to get her attitude out of the way.

"You know I almost walked right back out of that pub when I realized it was you."

"I wouldn't have blamed you."

"So you admit that you're a bitch?"

"Dean..." Sam said disapprovingly.

"No," Kathleen said, "he's right. I don't trust other hunters. I found out quick, especially with men, that the only way they leave you alone is to be cut and dry."

"You keep saying you don't trust other hunters," Dean said. "Why are you trusting us?"

"Because John said I could... and I trust him."

When Sam heard her say "trust" in the present tense he spoke up.

"You do know that John's dead, right?"

A look of sadness came over Kathleen's face, and she nodded slightly. "I didn't know for sure, but he hadn't contacted me in so long that I began to assume." They were all silent for a moment before Kathleen spoke again. "How did it happen?"

Sam was about to answer when Dean interrupted.

"You may trust us, but I don't know if we can trust you. How did you meet our dad?"

"My parents were killed when I was fifteen. I would have been too, but John got there in time to save me."

"What was it?" Sam asked.

"A demon. It smoked out before John could do anything to it. That's why I need your help."

"Fifteen years later?" Dean asked.

"I've been trying to find it ever since. I want it dead... or at least back in Hell. I don't know the demon's name or where it went. I've been trapping other demons, trying to get any information I can. I've gotten a hint here and there, but nothing concrete... and now it seems I've drawn attention to myself."

"What do you mean?" Dean asked.

"The last demon I trapped let it slip that there's a contract out on me. A demon... put a hit on me."

"Welcome to our world," Dean said. "Any idea which demon?"

"Thankfully I did get a name this time... Crowley."

Sam and Dean exchanged a look, and Kathleen didn't miss it.

"What? You know this demon?"

"Oh, yeah," Dean said. "We know him. Congratulations, sweetheart. You landed on the hit list of the King of Hell."

"King of Hell?"

"Yup. Nasty son of a bitch. What did you do to get his attention?"

"Apparently, I've trapped and exorcised several demons he had on specific missions recently, and he doesn't like the interruptions."

"Dean," Sam said, "maybe it's good that it's Crowley. Maybe he'd be willing to deal... she'll stop trapping his demons for the name of the one who killed her parents."

"A deal?" Kathleen spit out. "This thing wants me dead. I didn't come here for a deal with a demon. I came here for help."

"You're right," Dean said. "A deal is a last resort, Sam."

"How are we gonna keep her safe? I assume you still want to go after the demon that killed your parents?"

"Damn straight," Kathleen said.

"Ok," Dean said. "I know you're used to hunting solo, but you're gonna have to stick with us for a while. We're already on Crowley's radar, but we have a little leverage with him."

"Leverage?"

"I guess it's more of a history than leverage. It's a little difficult to explain. Just know he's tried to kill us and failed, and lately he mostly just tries to get in the way."

"So, what do we do?" Kathleen asked.

"You have to lay low for a while. No more demons for you. You're gonna stick with us... learn how we operate so we can help you out."

"What about finding the demon that killed my parents?"

"It'll have to wait a while, unless we can find a way to do it without interrogating other demons."

Kathleen stood, "The whole point is to find that demon!"

Dean didn't let her get the advantage. He stood straight in front of her. "What happened to trusting us? You want our help you follow our lead. If you can't do that we'll leave right now."

"Fine," she said sitting back down. "John never mentioned you were such an ass."

"It's a new development... mostly around people with attitudes."

He glared at her, and she returned the look. Dean grabbed his cell and walked to the door.

"I'm gonna call Bobby. We'll stay at his place for a day or two and make some kind of plan. Be right back."

Kathleen turned her attention to Sam as Dean left.

"Who's Bobby?"

"Bobby Singer... He's an old family friend."

"Singer... John mentioned him once. You guys trust him?"

"Yeah. He's practically family."

Kathleen nodded and her posture relaxed a bit.

Outside, Dean was filling Bobby in.

"It's our mystery brunette."

"You're kidding?"

"No, I'm not. She says dad saved her life and told her to call me if she ever needed help."

"I don't like it."

"Yeah, I don't either, but I'm not gonna turn her away. If it's legit then she's in trouble. Crowley is after her."

"Balls!"

"I know. Listen, Bobby, we wanna come lay low at your place for a couple days just to get ourselves straight."

"Why not? It's not like Crowley doesn't already know where I live."

"Thanks. We'll spend the night here since she already has a room, and we'll head over tomorrow."

Dean got his and Sam's duffels from the trunk before going back inside. He put them on the table and motioned to the bed by the door.

"Sam and I will bunk there for the night. You want the shower first?"

Kathleen looked at him with her mouth open and an eyebrow raised. "You're kidding, right?"

"You want our help, right?"

"You can't get your own room?"

"It's just for a few hours, but, honestly, it'll be safer if you stay with us. It's hard to watch your back when you're in a different room."

She grabbed a bag from the edge of the bed and headed toward the bathroom. "It's not my back I'm worried about you watching."

She shut the door behind her and Sam couldn't help but smile. Dean glared at him and shook his head, mumbling under his breath. "I really don't like that chick."


	4. Chapter 4

Dean led Kathleen into Bobby's with Sam close behind. He called out to Bobby, who came down the stairs a minute later.

"Bobby." Dean said, "this is Kathleen."

Kathleen walked over to him and extended her hand.

"Hi, Bobby. I'm Kathleen Rowe. Thanks for letting me stay here."

"Don't mention it," Bobby said.

Dean put his duffel down on the couch and walked over to them.

"Hang on. Where's this nice girl coming from?" Kathleen rolled her eyes and Dean rolled his back. "No wait... There's the girl I know."

"Would you rather I be mean to your friend who's nice enough to open his home to me? You guys said I can trust him, so I'm not going to push him off."

"No, you're just mean to the guys you came running to for help."

"I didn't know who you were before. I was just protecting myself."

Bobby could feel the tension and cut in before one of them blew up.

"Kathleen, I figured you wouldn't wanna be crowded down here on the floor with the boys so I cleared out part of a spare bedroom. There's lotsa junk in there, but there's a bed you can use."

"Thanks," she said with a smile.

"Come on, I'll show it to you."

Bobby led Kathleen up the stairs and Dean flopped onto the couch. Sam brought Dean a beer and sat next to him.

"You need to stop picking fights with her."

"I'm not."

"Yeah, you are."

"All I've done is call her out on her attitude."

"She was being nice to Bobby, Dean."

Dean took a long drink from his beer. "Chick has mood swings."

"Maybe she'd be nicer to you if you're nicer to her." Dean shot him a look, but Sam continued. "I'm serious. I was alone with her when you talked to Bobby last night... she was more relaxed. I think you're keeping her on the defensive. That's all I'm saying."

When Kathleen came back down Dean pulled her into the kitchen. "So, I'm being told I've been kind of a jerk to you."

"Yeah, you have."

"Well, I'm sorry, okay? You're attitude just really got to me."

Kathleen nodded. "Thank you. I'm sorry too. Not for my attitude before I knew who you were. That attitude is how I've survived on my own all these years. But for the attitude since then... Sorry."

"That's fair. Start over?"

"Sounds good. We can't really be at each others' throats if we're gonna be working together."

"Right."

Dean immediately noticed a change in her. Her body language definitely became less rigid. Something kept her on edge and on guard.

"You want a beer?"

"No, thanks, I don't drink."

Dean's eyebrow went up. "You had a beer at the pub... and the first night I met you at that bar."

"For appearances. I like to be alert at all times. I don't do too well with alcohol, but it actually keeps most people from approaching. I also found I got a lot of weird looks if I didn't have anything in front of me."

"I was wondering why you left a full beer on the table."

Sam stuck his head into the kitchen. "Dean, let's go get some food."

"Ok." Dean looked back at Kathleen, "You stay here. We'll be back soon."

Kathleen nodded. Dean grabbed his keys and headed out the door with Sam. She was feeling a little more at ease now, though she still wondered just how much she could trust them. She would be careful.

When they finally sat down to eat, Dean got the conversation started again.

"I kinda got the impression you were close to our dad. Were you?"

"A little. I mean, the man saved my life. He got me somewhere safe and made sure I was okay. He taught me a lot of what I know about hunting."

"Where did you go?" Sam asked. "Did you have family?"

"My mom has a sister, but I barely know her and her husband. I couldn't lie about what happened, and John told me they would never believe me. He took me to stay with a man named Jim Murphy."

"Pastor Jim?" Dean asked.

"Yeah. You knew him?"

"Yeah, we did. Dad used to drop us off there sometimes when he couldn't take us on a job."

"Well, I stayed there for a long time. John would stop by and check in on me when he was in the area. I think he felt responsible for me."

Bobby chimed in, "I think he felt like a dad who had a son about your age." He looked at Sam, then back to Kathleen. "He couldn't leave you alone at fifteen."

"Whatever the reason, you can blame him for me not trusting hunters. When I told him I wanted to go after the demon that killed my parents he told me I'd have to train so I wouldn't have to rely on any other hunter. He said they would use me as bait."

"Good old dad," Dean said. "Captain Paranoid... but he wasn't wrong. You did good following that advice, Kat."

Kathleen made a face. "Please don't call me that. I wouldn't even let my dad call me Kat when he tried."

"Sorry. What did your dad end up calling you?"

Kathleen broke eye contact and looked at the floor before continuing her story. "I left Pastor Jim's when I was eighteen and started going after demons. Any possession I heard of, I was there. I started hunting other things to sharpen my skills and to kill time."

Dean and Bobby exchanged a glance at her avoiding the question about her dad, but they left it alone. They didn't know her well enough to pry into something personal.

"I kept in touch with Jim, and John would call me sometimes. He called me when Jim was killed. I went back and cleared the place out... gave Jim a hunter's funeral, just like John taught me." A tear slipped from her eye, and she quickly wiped it away. "That was the last time I heard from John."

"He died not long after that," Sam said.

"Was it the same demon that killed Jim?"

"No," Dean said. "It was the demon that killed our mom."

"The one he was hunting?"

"Yeah."

Kathleen smiled, "I didn't think anything could kill John. He was larger than life... my hero."

"Yeah," Dean said, "I thought the same thing."

Another tear slipped down Kathleen's cheek and she wiped it away.

"I'm sorry. I don't usually get emotional like this."

"It's okay," Sam said. "If anyone understands, we do."

"If you guys don't mind, I'm kind of tired..."

"No," Dean said, "go ahead."

"Thanks again for letting me stay here, Bobby."

"You're welcome," he said with a smile.

"And thank you two for helping me."

Sam and Dean both nodded, and she headed up the stairs. The guys waited a few minutes before they started talking.

"She's not telling us everything," Dean said.

"She basically ignored that question about her dad," Sam said. "You think it still effects her to the point that she can't talk about it?"

"Depends on what happened," Bobby said, "and how much she saw."

Upstairs, Kathleen was in the shower with the water turned as hot as she could take it. She sat with her arms wrapped around her knees. The water ran over her head and fell down her face mixing with the tears that flowed. Talking about everything brought back the vivid memories that she fought so hard to suppress. She felt as if it were all happening again right before her eyes. She cried until the water turned cold, then went to bed exhausted.


	5. Chapter 5

The next morning, Kathleen dressed and went downstairs to find Sam asleep on the sofa and Dean asleep on a blanket on the floor. Bobby was nowhere to be seen, so she assumed he was in his room, still asleep. She quietly looked over the books around the room. Bobby had an interesting collection. There were many more books in her room. She had quickly scanned those before coming down.

As she looked around, she thought a nice way to pay these guys back, for starters, might be to make breakfast. As she stepped into the kitchen, a floor board creaked. She froze and turned, hoping she hadn't woken them up. They were still asleep. She carefully opened the refrigerator and cabinets, looking at what was stocked. There was nothing. Only two eggs, a half of a loaf of bread, which was stale, and an empty milk carton. She threw the carton away, put her hands on her hips and sighed.

"Men..."

"What about men?"

The voice behind her made her jump. She quickly turned to see Dean standing in the entryway.

"I wanted to make breakfast for you guys, but the kitchen is kinda bare. Did I wake you?"

"Yes... but it's okay. And don't worry about breakfast. There's a diner around here that has great food."

He opened the refrigerator and grabbed a water bottle. She took in his appearance. His shoes off, he was in his socks. His hair, which was practically perfect each time she had seen him before, was completely disheveled. And his voice was deeper than usual. He seemed less like a hunter and more like any other random guy.

"Any idea when we'll be heading to that diner? I'm starving." She sat at the small table in the kitchen.

Dean searched through the cabinets and pulled out a bag of beef jerky. He held it up so she could see, but she made a face and shook her head. He tossed it back in the cabinet.

"I'll wake Sam up in a minute. Bobby's probably already outside working on a car or something." He grabbed another water bottle from the fridge and sat it in front of her before joining her at the table.

"Thanks."

"How'd you sleep last night?"

"Same as always."

"So you were up half the night?" She looked up at him with questioning eyes. He answered without her even having to ask. "You were up half the night when we shared the motel room."

"How do you know that?"

"Because I was up half the night in the motel room."

"Did I keep you up?"

"No... I don't always sleep well." Dean took a sip of his water, and when he looked back at Kathleen he found her gaze to be a little intense. "If you take a picture it'll last longer."

She laughed at the thought. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to stare. It's just... you look so much like John."

A sad smile came over Dean's face. "You think?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I'll take that as a complement."

"You should."

They sat quietly for a few minutes. It had been a long time since Dean thought about his dad so much. He wondered why his dad never mentioned this girl before. For her own protection, maybe? There was no way to know.

"What was he like?" Dean asked.

"Don't you know?" She had a slightly confused look on her face.

"No, I know what he was like with me and Sam. What was he like with you? What do you remember about him?"

"What don't I remember? That would be the quicker answer." She smiled as she talked about him. "He stayed with me the first few nights at Jim's. He let me cry and scream. I was a wreck, and he was right there. He was always so sweet and gentle with me... until I told him I wanted to hunt. He became a total hard-ass. He demanded perfection."

"That sounds like the John I know."

"But he would always hug me and kiss the top of my head before he left. He kind of became a father figure to me when I needed one."

"Wow... I don't know who that man was. I probably would have thrown holy water on him."

Kathleen laughed, but she got the feeling Dean wasn't really joking. "He wasn't a good dad to you guys?"

"He did the best he could with what he knew. Dad was military. When our mom was killed, and he found out what was really going on, he switched into that training. He raised me and Sammy that way from a young age. There wasn't a lot of time for hugs and kisses."

"I'm sorry."

Dean shrugged. "It is what it is." He stared at her as she played with the label on her water bottle. "I have to ask," he said. "That first night in the bar, you totally blew me off. It was because of the job, right?"

"Dean, if it weren't for the job, I wouldn't have even been in that bar."

"Yeah, I know, but if you had been... no job..."

"I don't think I wanna answer this."

"Why not?" he asked with a grin.

"Because you're not gonna like the answer, and I don't wanna start a fight."

"Oh, come on. I don't wanna brag, but most girls can't resist."

"I'm not most girls."

"You seriously wouldn't have given me the time of day?"

"Sorry."

"Why not?"

She hesitated, then sighed. "I think you should wake Sam up. I'm starving." She stood from the table and headed toward the door, leaving Dean staring after her. "I'll go see if Bobby's outside."

Kathleen kept pretty quiet at the diner. The guys were going over cases with Bobby, sort of catching up, and she didn't want to intrude in their conversation. Dean was right. The food was good. So, she just sat there and enjoyed her breakfast.

When they got back to Bobby's Dean started talking about heading out on a job. Bobby told him he would let him know if anything popped up. Kathleen confronted Dean.

"You're really gonna make me wait to find the demon that killed my parents?"

"Yes, I am." Kathleen started to protest, but Dean cut her off. "Look, I know how you feel, okay? I really do. It took us over twenty years to get the son of a bitch that killed our mom. Almost my whole life... all of Sam's life. There were times when we had to take a step back. It's hard, I know, but you have to trust me. Crowley has it out for you. If he knows what you're looking for he's not above setting a trap for you. So you make him think you gave up when that demon spilled the beans about the contract on you. You kill some other evil bastards in the meantime."

Kathleen finally relented. She would have to trust Dean or go it alone. She didn't think she could handle the situation alone. Not this time. The guys knew Crowley. They knew how he thought. That was an advantage that she needed.

"Okay," she said. "What kind of case are you looking for?"

"Anything supernatural."

"Got a newspaper laying around?"


	6. Chapter 6

Kathleen eventually gave up on the newspaper. She had gone through it twice and found nothing. Sam was at Bobby's desk on his laptop looking for anything strange in the area. Dean was doing some odd jobs around the house for Bobby, who had been on the phone all morning. She was amazed at the operation he had going. Hunters would call him for information. He pretended to be FBI, Homeland Security, CDC... whatever these hunters needed to get in and do a job.

Kathleen was bored. She hated being bored.

"Do you mind if I come look over your shoulder for a while?" she asked Sam.

"Uhh... no, it's okay."

She grabbed the chair from the front of the desk and pulled it around with her, sitting close enough that she could see what Sam was looking at.

"Thanks. I don't really know what to do with myself right now. But I feel like I should be helping try to find a job."

"No problem. Let me know if anything jumps out at you. You might see something I miss."

A little over an hour later, Bobby walked out of the kitchen with the phone in his hand, down by his waist.

"I have a hunter on the phone that may have something for you, but he needs an answer. Where's Dean?"

"I'll get him," Kathleen said, practically jumping out of her seat. She was ready to hunt, hoping it would take her mind off of her parents and the demon that killed them. And the fact that she couldn't go after it for a while. She found Dean and followed him back. Bobby started filling him in as soon as he walked in the room.

"Two hunters were trackin' a nest when it split."

"Split?" Dean asked.

"Leadership issues." Dean nodded and Bobby continued. "These guys split up and tracked both, but they don't wanna run the risk of losing one while they take out the other. You guys wanna go after one?"

"Yes," Dean and Kathleen both answered. Dean glanced back at her, but didn't say anything.

"Yeah, we'll take it," Dean said. "Just get the details for us." He turned back to Kathleen as Bobby went back to the phone call. "Eager much?"

"Yes," she said. "I can't stand just sitting around when I know there are things I should be doing."

He knew she was hinting, not so subtly, about the demon that killed her parents. "The only thing you should be doing is laying low and staying off of Crowley's radar." He walked over to her. As he got closer she took a couple of steps back until she hit the desk. He was standing so close that they were almost touching. Her body went rigid, but Dean smiled at her. "It's too bad you're not as eager to do other things," he said quietly.

"I've already told you..."

"Not interested. Yeah, I got it."

"I don't think you do."

She pushed him away and walked through the kitchen to go outside. Bobby came out of the kitchen as the door slammed behind her.

"Did I miss somethin'?" Bobby asked.

"Just Dean's raging hormones," Sam said.

Bobby shook his head. "You think it's a good idea to be hittin' on that girl?"

"I hit on her when I met her."

"And she turned him down," Sam said.

"Geez, boy, leave the girl alone. She don't need to deal with you and your pride right now."

"Come on, I was just having some fun with her. Didn't think it would upset her."

"Bobby," Sam said, "you got the details for us?"

"Yeah. You'll meet one of the guys at this address." He handed Dean a piece of paper. "It's a couple hours from here, so you should leave now. He'll fill you in on what they've learned and give you the location of the nest he followed."

Dean handed the paper to Sam. "Can you pull up directions for that?"

"Sure. You should go talk to Kathleen."

"Oh, come on..."

"Seriously. Talk to her."

Dean walked out through the kitchen. He expected Kathleen to be right outside, but she wasn't. He walked around the yard until he found her sitting on the hood of her car. She saw him approaching. As he got closer she stood and moved around to the side of the hood. Dean saw that she was intentionally putting distance between them and stayed back a bit.

"You okay?"

"I'm fine."

"I really didn't mean anything by that."

"Yes, you did. It wasn't the first time you hit on me."

"I was trying to have a little fun with you. I didn't realize you were so..."

"So what?"

"Nothin'."

"No... So what?"

Dean shook his head and hesitated, but he finally looked her right in the eye.

"Uptight."

"Uptight?"

"You asked... and that was my polite response."

"And what was the impolite one?"

"Prudish."

"Pru-." Her eyes began to water, but she refused to cry. "You don't know me. You have no right..."

"Well, why don't you talk to me? Stop ignoring questions and tell me something about yourself."

She walked past him headed back toward the house. He grabbed her arm.

"You can't walk away every time we try to talk to you."

"Yes, I can."

She stared at him until he let go, then she headed back inside. Dean ran his hands through his hair. This girl was still a mystery to him. She was keeping a secret, and he would find out what it was.


	7. Chapter 7

Kathleen fought back the tears as she walked to the house. She wouldn't let him make her cry. He didn't understand. Back inside, she walked up to Sam trying to act as if nothing had happened.

"When do we leave?"

Sam glanced behind her looking for Dean, but he wasn't there.

"Did Dean find you?"

"Yeah."

"He didn't tell you anything about the case?"

"Never really got around to that."

Sam rolled his eyes. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she said, forcing a smile. "When do we leave?"

"As soon as Dean gets back in here and we pack up."

They heard the door and Dean came into the room. He stopped in the entryway to the kitchen, giving Kathleen some space.

"If you have anything in your car that could help us you should go get it. We're all going in my car."

Kathleen got packed and was ready to go. Dean was taking longer than usual, looking for something. Sam finally got frustrated.

"Dean, we gotta go."

"I can't find my keys, Sam."

Kathleen reached into her bag and pulled out a set of keys.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Are these yours?"

She held the key ring on the tip of her finger. Dean quickly walked over and snatched them from her hand.

"You took my keys?"

"Come on, Dean. I was just having a little fun with you." Her voice dripped with sarcasm.

"Funny. Don't screw with my car."

"Gosh, Dean... I didn't realize you were so uptight."

She glared at him before walking out of the house. Dean was about to follow when Sam grabbed his arm.

"Dude, what happened out there?"

"I told her what I thought of her."

"We're supposed to be helping her. You two are gonna end up killing each other."

Dean walked out, leaving Sam shaking his head. He looked up to see Bobby doing the same, then followed his brother to the car.

The ride was quiet. Kathleen sat in the back seat. She just wanted to hunt. The anger and frustration was building inside of her and she needed to get it out. Taking off a few vamp heads should help. They met up with the hunter who was tracking the nest and he filled them in. A vamp who had been turned a few years ago had risen through the ranks, and was ready to overthrow their leader. It split the nest, and he took his followers and left. There would likely be a war between the two nests, and they would no doubt recruit new members, which meant more innocent people being turned into monsters.

They made their way to the house where the nest was staying, parking on the other side of a wooded area. They got themselves geared up. Dean watch as Kathleen strapped a belt around her waist, but this belt held syringes filled with dead man's blood.

"That's pretty cool. Where'd you find something like that?"

"I made it."

Dean nodded with a look of approval. When they were ready, they made their way through the trees, carefully approaching the house. Dean was out front with Sam flanking his right and Kathleen at his left. She was a little further away. Dean stopped to motion for Sam to take a side door. He turned to point Kathleen to the back, but she was already on the porch. There was no way for him to call out to her without drawing attention. He cursed under his breath and went after her, but she had already slipped quietly into the house.

She quickly assessed the situation in front of her: one vamp asleep on the couch. She lifted her machete and brought it down forcefully, severing the vampire's head from its body. As she spun around to regain her footing she found herself face to face with another vamp. He quickly had her in his grasp. There was no way she would get the leverage she needed for the blade. She pulled a syringe from her belt and injected it into the vampire's arm. He slowly released her as the dead man's blood took affect. As soon as she was out of his grip, a blade sliced through the air, taking off the vampire's head. Dean stood there as the body fell to the floor, then stepped over it toward Kathleen.

"You're insane!" he said quietly.

"Shut up!" She held up her hand, and Dean was about to say something about her attitude when he heard grunting coming from a back room.

He followed the sound with Kathleen on his heels. They entered the room just in time to see Sam's blade slice through the neck of a vamp. Kathleen saw the one coming up behind him and quickly made her way around Sam. No room for a blade, so she pulled another syringe and shoved it into the vamp's leg. Dean pulled him further into the room and removed his head with one swift blow.

"That was four," Dean said. "There should be two more."

"The leader and his mate," Sam said.

Kathleen was already moving out of the room, and Dean grabbed her arm.

"Stop," Dean said. "We lost the element of surprise. I'm sure they know we're here now."

"All the more reason to move quickly. We can't afford to let them come up with a plan."

"You can't just go charging from room to room. We stick together, watch each other's backs. Three of us, two of them. The odds are in our favor. Don't do anything else stupid."

"Anything else?"

"Guys," Sam said, "can we save the fight for later, please?"

"Stay between me and Sam."

Dean led the way down the hall and up the stairs. Kathleen followed close behind with Sam right behind her. Dean slowly opened each door along the hallway, checking each room. If there were closets in the rooms he checked those too. Kathleen and Sam covered Dean from each doorway. Kathleen kept her eyes inside the room, Sam kept his on the hall. Eventually they found the right room. The head vampire and his mate were asleep in bed. Dean motioned for Kathleen to stay at the door. He motioned Sam to one side of the bed while he went around to the other. They raised their blades and the vamps were soon dead.

Dean growled at Kathleen as he passed her, "Get in the car."

They argued all the way back to Bobby's. Sam kept trying to lessen the tension, and they would stop arguing for a few minutes only to start back up again. They were practically yelling at each other when they walked into Bobby's study. He was sitting at his desk, but he stood when he heard all the commotion.

"What in hell is goin' on?"

"She almost got us all killed, that's what's goin' on!"

"I did not!"

He completely ignored her and kept talking.

"She went into a house full of vamps before Sam and I had even reached the perimeter. She didn't wait for cover... just went in!"

"For the hundredth time, I know what I'm doing."

"You know what you're doing solo. You're working with two other people now. We need to be on the same page."

Dean started to walk away, but he turned back to her and lowered his voice. "If you can't work as a team with us, then maybe you should go. I can't help you if you won't let me."

"Fine." Kathleen stormed up the stairs slamming her bedroom door shut behind her. Dean walked out through the kitchen and slammed the door.

"It's like 'Moonlighting' with these two," Bobby said. He followed Dean out the back door. "You need to go easy on her, boy."

"She's not making it easy, Bobby."

"I know, but she's spent almost ten years surviving on her own. She trusts her own instincts and her own skills. You can't expect her to suddenly play well with others."

A few yards away they saw Kathleen come around from the front of the house with a bag, heading to her trunk.

"Now, what is she doin'?" Dean asked.

"You told her she should leave."

"Damn it!" Dean took off toward her car. "Hey!" She ignored him and opened the door. "Kathleen!" She climbed behind the wheel, but Dean opened the passenger door and climbed in before she could start the engine.

"Get out," she said.

"No. You can't leave."

"You told me to! And honestly, you're right. It was a mistake. You can't help me."

"You'll never survive Crowley on your own."

"I don't know, I'm pretty resourceful."

"Yeah, I saw that today with the vamps."

"No need to be sarcastic."

"I wasn't being sarcastic. I may have been pissed about how you barged in there, but you handled yourself better than a lot of hunters I've run into."

"Thank you."

"Look, we want you to stay. We want to help you, but you have to realize you're not alone now. You have to..."

"I know. I know, it's just difficult to turn off those instincts."

"Maybe it will help me understand if you'd tell me a little about yourself... what you've been through. Can you tell me about your parents? What happened to them?"

She shook her head. Dean could see her eyes watering so he decided not to push.

"Is it still that painful for you?"

She was silent for a moment. She had to make him understand.

"Dean, what do you remember about when your mom died?"

He looked caught off guard, but he answered. "I didn't actually see it, and I was really young, so I don't remember much."

"What about when your dad died? You were older. What do you remember?"

"I didn't see that either. Sam found him on the floor and I saw him just before he died."

Kathleen nodded. "I was fifteen. I saw my parents die, Dean. I saw it." Her eyes filled with tears. "And I have the added benefit of having a photographic memory."

"What?"

"Every detail is permanently engrained in my memory. When I think about it, or talk about it... it's like I'm reliving it. So, yes, it's still that painful. And I'm not ready to share that with you guys."

Dean reached out to put his hand on hers, but she pulled away.

"I'm sorry," Dean said. "That still doesn't explain why you react the way you do toward me."

"No, it doesn't." She wiped the tears from her face, but wouldn't elaborate.

Dean wanted to know what was going on with her, but he knew he couldn't push. "So," he said, "you stayin'?"

"Yeah... I'm stayin'."


	8. Chapter 8

Three months passed. Sam, Dean and Kathleen took any case they could find. They used it as practice. It was a way for them to learn each other's hunting styles, something Dean and Kathleen still had arguments over. She was struggling to learn to trust Sam and Dean's instincts after depending on her own for so long. What she did trust was the fact that Sam and Dean wanted to help her.

Dean did his best not to yell when they argued, and he found Kathleen was being less defensive. He realized more each day just how much she had retreated into herself. Trust was an issue for her. A big issue. And he had a feeling it had to do with more than John's advice not to trust hunters. He watched her with Sam. She was a lot more relaxed with him, even touching his hand or arm sometimes. She still kept her distance from Dean. He assumed it was because he had hit on her. He had made her a little uncomfortable, but she was getting better even with that. She had stopped moving across the room when he came in.

Since he had come on to her already, Dean couldn't pretend he didn't find her attractive, but he kept it in check. They had to work together, and she consistently showed no interest. Something else that frustrated him. He had to know the reason behind her distance. Maybe it was something he could work through?

Sharing a motel room hadn't made it any easier on Dean, either. He made his way to a bar once or twice to let loose. The last few months had been almost non-stop hunting or traveling. Dean thought they deserved a break for a few days. He wanted to get Kathleen to loosen up a bit.

They had arrived back at Bobby's the night before. Kathleen was glad to be back where she had her own room, but she hated feeling idle. She and Sam were looking for something local when Dean walked into the room.

"What are you two doin'?"

"Looking for a case," Sam said.

"We just got back."

"Your point?" Kathleen asked.

"We need a break, guys."

"I can't just sit here, Dean."

"You won't. We're gonna go out."

He smiled, but she gave him an "are you kidding" look. So did Sam.

"What?" Dean asked. "The three of us can hit a bar and have some fun." Kathleen started to object, but Dean cut her off. "I know you said you don't drink... you don't have to, but it wouldn't kill you to try one to relax." When she didn't say anything he kept going. "We've got a couple of hours before the sun goes down. You go get yourself all prettied up... not that it'll take a lot of work... and we'll go have fun."

Kathleen blushed a little at Dean's words, and turned to Sam. He just shrugged. The decision was hers.

"Okay," she said, "but promise me that if I want to leave, we'll leave."

"I promise."

When Kathleen came down the stairs later, Dean let out a breath. "Woah."

She was wearing a pair of slightly faded, dark wash skinny jeans. Her shirt was form-fitting, blue with splashes of black and white through it. Her black high heel boots came slightly above her ankles. Her hair, which she had taken to always wearing in a ponytail lately, was down around her shoulders in waves. A full face of neutral makeup completed the look. Dean stood up.

"You look great."

"Thanks." She blushed. "I am a girl, you know. I like to feel pretty sometimes."

He started walking toward her. "I'd make you feel pretty all the time, if you'd let me."

She took a couple of steps back as he got closer, so he stopped and sighed. "You ready?" She nodded, so Dean called out to Sam, who came out of the kitchen. "You ready, bro?"

"Ready."

"Alright. Let's go."

When they got to the bar, Dean found a table a little out of the way. He let Kathleen sit first, then sat in the chair next her. Sam sat across from them.

"Ok," Dean said, "drinks. Sammy?"

"Beer."

"Kathleen?"

"Just a Coke."

Dean shook his head. "No... Come on. One adult beverage."

"It dulls the senses."

Dean leaned a little closer, but not too close. "Maybe it'll help dull some of those vivid memories, just for a little while."

She liked the thought of that. "Okay. No beer, but I honestly don't know what else to get."

"I'll get you something. Be right back."

Dean came back with two beers and a glass of some dark liquid.

"What is it?" Kathleen asked.

"Don't worry about what it is. Just try it."

She smelled it before taking a sip. It made her cough a bit. "Not bad... Strong, but not bad."

Dean watched in shock as she knocked back the rest of it. "Hey, slow down, Miss I-don't-drink."

"I just wanted a head start." He raised an eyebrow at her. "What," she asked. "It was your idea. Get me another one. I'll sip that one."

Dean grabbed her glass and headed back to the bar. Sam gave her a funny look. "You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, sure."

"Just... take it easy, okay?"

"Don't worry, I won't do that again. It burned like hell."

Dean came back and sat another glass in front of her. "Just sip on this one, okay?"

Dean sat back in his chair and stretched his arm over the back of Kathleen's chair, which made her sit up and lean her elbows on the table. She just wouldn't let him get close.

Small talk turned into stories. Sam and Dean told her about some of their most memorable cases. Sam made sure to tell her about the time Dean caught ghost sickness and was scared of a cat. Dean would have been angry, but Kathleen laughed more than he had ever seen. It was a wonderful sight, so he let it slide. Besides, he was able to work in the clown stories, and those made her laugh too.

Dean saw a girl glancing over at their table. "Hey, Sammy. I think someone's interested." Sam looked up and the girl smiled at him before looking away. "Go get her."

"I don't know."

"Sam, go." Dean tilted his head toward the girl. Sam grabbed his beer and walked over to her table. It didn't take long for her to ask him to sit, and her friends cleared out.

Kathleen leaned back in her chair, which surprised Dean since his arm was still there. She seemed a little more relaxed. "You know," he said, "Kathleen sounds so formal. You don't like Kat..."

"No!"

"How about Kate?"

She nodded. "I can live with Kate."

"Good. How are those vivid memories of yours?"

"Not so vivid. It's nice. I can still remember, but it doesn't seem like it's happening again. I don't really feel the emotion that goes with it. I can't see every detail like I usually can. It's a little scary, actually."

"You think you can tell me about it since it's not so vivid?"

She hesitated for a moment, but she felt like she could talk about it. "My parents had just gotten home, and the demon attacked. It was so fast. It threw my mom into the wall, like telekinesis. She was hurt, so I tried to run to her, but then it threw me against the wall. But not enough to hurt me. It pinned me there. It was staring at my dad. It lunged and landed on top of him, pulled out a knife..." She stopped, and Dean told her she didn't have to keep going, but she wanted to. "It slit his throat. But it wasn't deep enough to make it quick. He bled out... so slow... gasping for air. I couldn't help him. I couldn't move. My mom was still knocked out. It finished her off quick. Then it came toward me. That's when John burst in. He said a few words of an exorcism and the demon just smoked out."

"Come here," Dean said. He tried to pull her into his arms, but she fought him, so he pulled her harder. "It's just a hug, Kate. Just a hug." She relaxed a little with her face buried in his chest, then he could feel her shaking as she cried. "It's okay," Dean whispered. "You don't have to talk about it anymore."

"Can we leave, please?"

"Yeah. Wait here, let me go talk to Sam."

Dean excused himself when he reached the table and pulled Sam away. He told Sam that Kathleen wanted to leave.

"You comin' or, uh... do you have another ride?" He grinned at Sam.

"No, I'll leave with you guys."

Dean shook his head. "You gotta learn how to have fun Sammy."

"One night stands aren't really my idea of fun. I'll meet you outside."

While Sam went back to tell the girl he was leaving, Dean went back to Kathleen.

"You ready?"

She stood and took a few wobbly steps before she stumbled. Dean caught her and pulled her arm around his neck, holding her around her waist. "That's it. No more alcohol for you, lightweight."

"I told you it didn't agree with me."

"No kidding, you barely touched the second glass."

By the time they got back to Bobby's, Kathleen was having trouble staying awake. Dean picked her up and carried her inside. Bobby saw as Dean headed up the stairs.

"Is she okay?"

"She's fine... just drunk."

"Geez, boy!"

"Seriously, Bobby... one drink. Ask Sam."

Once he got her upstairs he laid her on her bed and took her boots off.

"Dean?"

"Yeah?"

"Part of me... really wants to kiss you."

He stooped down next to the bed so he could see her eyes. "But part of you doesn't?"

"Right."

"Which part is winning out right now?"

She seemed to think before answering. "I don't know."

"Well, then I guess you'd better not." He stood and covered her with a blanket. "Get some sleep."


	9. Chapter 9

When Kathleen woke up the next morning she had a headache. Seeing that she was still in her clothes, she grabbed a few things from her bag and went to take a shower. An hour later, she was dressed and heading down stairs. She found Sam asleep on the floor and Dean on the couch. Dean was awake, and he turned his head as she walked in.

"Hey," he said. "How you feelin'?"

"Headache."

"I'm not surprised."

She went into the kitchen and found a bottle of aspirin. Dean followed her, but stood in the entryway, leaning against the frame.

"Did you at least sleep?" he asked.

"I did sleep. I don't think I woke up once all night."

"Well, that's somethin'."

"I don't feel rested, though." She looked at Sam, asleep on the floor. "Where's Bobby?"

"Still asleep. Why?"

"Can we go for a little walk around the yard?"

"Sure."

They went out through the kitchen door and started making their way through a maze of old, rusted vehicles. Neither of them said anything for a few minutes.

"I wanted to thank you for last night," Kathleen said.

"For what? Getting you drunk?"

"No... after that."

"After?"

"When we got back here."

Dean stopped walking. "You actually remember what happened when we got back?"

"It's a bit fuzzy, but yeah."

"So, I put you to bed. It's not a big deal."

"I'm not talking about that, and you know it. You had the perfect opportunity to get what you wanted and you were a perfect gentleman."

"You were drunk."

"Some men wouldn't care."

Dean started walking again. "Well, I knew you didn't mean what you were saying anyway. It was the alcohol talking."

Kathleen hadn't moved. "I meant it, Dean."

Dean stopped and turned around. "What?"

"I meant what I said last night." He walked toward her, and she took a step back.

He stopped walking again. "You got a funny way of showing it."

"That's just it... I don't want to show it. I'm attracted to you, and I feel safe when I'm with you. But I don't wanna feel that way. I don't want to feel safe enough to let my guard down."

"Why do you feel like you have to be on guard with me?"

Kathleen took a deep breath. "Just before I turned fifteen, I started dating this boy. He was a good guy. My parents loved him. We went out for almost a year. I had about three months before I turned sixteen, and he started hinting about sex. Just sort of joking at first, but a few weeks later he started getting serious. If I loved him I would sleep with him... that sort of thing. I told him to let me think about it. A few days later I decided to do it. He came over while my parents were gone... some event they went to every year. We were on the couch, getting pretty hot and heavy. He had my shirt open, and he was undoing my pants when my parents walked in. They came home early." She paused, taking another deep breath. "I told you the rest of the story last night."

"Your boyfriend was possessed by the demon that killed your parents?"

"I watched my boyfriend slaughter my parents. And the last thing they saw, was their daughter... on the couch with the monster that killed them. Can you imagine how I felt when I found out what it was? I almost had sex with a demon... in the body of my dead boyfriend." Dean made a face without really meaning to. "Yeah," Kathleen said. "It had killed him before taking over his body. We realized that later after it smoked out. I told myself I'd never be in that situation again. If I find a man attractive, I avoid him. If he doesn't take the hint, I act like a bitch. Sound familiar?"

"So, when I asked you about blowing me off at the bar..."

"I wasn't lying. I wouldn't have given you the time of day. But it's not because I don't find you attractive. It's because I do."

Dean ran a hand over his face, not sure what to say. No wonder she acted so tense around him. "I guess I didn't make the situation any better by hitting on you."

"No, you didn't."

"You know, if I had known..."

"I know, but seriously... do you think it's easy for me to talk about?"

Dean shook his head. "So, you've never let another man near you?"

"No."

"So, then, you've never..."

"That's right."

Dean was trying to take in everything she was telling him. He understood better why she was always on edge around him. "You have to know, that won't happen with me. I know how to keep from being possessed." He pulled his shirt aside so she could see his anti-possession tattoo. "Do you know what this is?"

"Yes. I have one on my hip."

"Your hip?"

"A place no one would ever see it. Didn't want anyone thinking I was a devil worshipper."

Dean nodded. He could understand that.

"This doesn't change things for me, you know," Dean said. "I'm still interested in you... despite your bitchy attitude." Kathleen kind of laughed, so he continued. "And now that I know you're interested in me, well, that's a game changer. But so is everything you just told me. I'm not gonna push you. So, you're gonna have to let me know when you're ready."

"Dean, I don't think..."

He held his hand up. "I'm gonna come a little closer, okay?" As he started walking toward her, she forced herself not to move, fighting against every instinct she had. He took her hand. "One thing you have to know, is that even if you're never ready, you can always do this." He pulled her into a hug, kissing the top of her head. "You're always safe here."

She wrapped her arms around his waist and held him tight. "Thank you." She pulled away, and Dean let her go. "Can you do me a favor? Don't tell Sam or Bobby."

"I don't think you need to..."

"You're the first person I've ever told."

Dean looked at her in surprise. "Okay. It's our secret."


	10. Chapter 10

When they went inside, Kathleen headed straight to the coffee maker. She felt a bit wiped out, but she didn't want to go back to bed. Caffeine would help. Dean saw her fiddling with it and stopped her.

"Why don't we let them sleep, and we can go grab some breakfast?"

She looked at Sam, still asleep on the floor. "He won't be upset that we left him?"

"Nah. I'll leave him a note to tell him where we are so he doesn't worry about us."

"Okay. I could go for breakfast."

Dean fixed himself up a little and they headed out. Still a little early on a Saturday morning, the diner was almost empty. Once they ordered they began talking.

"So," Kathleen said, "John never mentioned me?"

"No, he didn't. But dad had a lot of secrets. He knew a bunch of people that he never talked about. We met some of them after he died. They called his phone and left messages, so we went to check them out. They were nice people."

"Were?"

"They died."

"Hunters?"

"Yeah. Damn good ones, too."

The conversation died down once the food came. They were both hungry and finished eating pretty quickly. Kathleen was feeling better after her second cup of coffee. Neither of them said anything on the drive back to Bobby's, but it wasn't an awkward silence. Dean had the radio on, and he noticed that Kathleen seemed very relaxed. More relaxed than he had ever seen her. When they pulled up to the house Bobby was outside, working in the yard. Kathleen smiled and waved at him as she went inside. Sam was up, folding the blankets he had slept on.

"Hey," he said.

"Good morning," Kathleen said.

"Breakfast, huh? You two actually getting along?" he asked as Dean walked in.

"Yes, we are," Dean said.

"All it took was him getting you drunk," Sam said with a smile.

"Come on, Sammy," Dean said. "The drinking had nothing to do with it."

"Actually," Kathleen said, "it did. It opened up a line of communication."

Dean rolled his eyes. "Oh geez. Chick psycho-babble."

"So," Sam said, "you two talked?"

"Yes," Dean said. "We talked it all out. And now I'm done talking. I'm gonna go watch a little tv." Dean plopped down on the sofa with the remote.

"Well," Sam said, "since you two ditched us, Bobby and I are gonna go grab some breakfast."

"Have fun."

Kathleen decided it would be a good time to go through some of Bobby's books. She was hoping to find something that could help her in her search for the demon that killed her parents, but she had no idea what that might be. With the number of books Bobby had, she knew she had to be selective with which ones she read or she would never find anything related to demons.

Dean watched her as she scanned the piles of books. "What are looking for?"

"Books on demons... and don't tell me I need to lay off."

"No. Research is good. Just don't go trying any spells or anything without talking to us first, okay?"

"Okay."

When Sam and Bobby got back, Sam dropped a newspaper in front of Dean.

"Animal attack?" Dean asked.

"If you keep reading, it says they think it was a very large dog or a wolf. The lunar cycle is right."

"Werewolf."

"Four hour drive."

Dean looked at Kathleen, who had heard the conversation sitting at Bobby's desk. "You up for this?"

"Sure."

"Ever hunt a werewolf?"

"Once."

"Alright then... you follow our lead."

They got to the town where the attack occurred and got a motel room. Once they were settled in, Sam suggested they go to the morgue, just to check out the body and see if the heart was missing. Dean agreed, but they had never gotten around to getting a federal ID set up for Kathleen, and he didn't want to leave her alone. So, Sam went solo to the morgue as FBI.

Since they started traveling with Kathleen they were springing for a room with a sofa... with a pullout bed if they were lucky. This one just had a sofa, and Dean was setting it up for himself.

"Dean," Kathleen said, "you take the bed. I can take the sofa."

"I'm fine."

"Seriously. I have a bed at Bobby's. You guys sleep on the couch or on the floor. You should take the bed here."

"It's okay." Dean sat on the couch. "You should try to get some sleep before sunset. Once the moon's up we could be out there 'til dawn."

She hesitated for just a moment before sitting sideways next to him on the couch.

"You know, when you hugged me this morning... it reminded me of John." Dean just smiled at her. "It really did make me feel safe."

"I'm glad."

She stared into his eyes, an inner conflict written all over her face. She had told him she wanted to kiss him. Part of her, anyway. He wondered if that was what she was thinking about. He leaned a little closer to her. When she didn't pull away, he placed a light kiss on her cheek, just by the corner of her mouth.

"You should sleep."

She nodded and got up. She disappeared into the bathroom for a few minutes, then climbed in bed. Dean was stretched on the couch with his eyes closed. She wanted to kiss him back so badly, but something wouldn't let her. She trusted Dean... she liked him a lot. She just couldn't let go of the past. Fifteen minutes later she showed no signs of falling asleep.

"You still awake?" she asked.

"Yeah. I'm waiting for Sam to get back."

She sat up in bed and looked over at him. "How did John die?"

Dean sat up and let out a breath. He hated talking about it, but he couldn't tell her that after what she had shared with him.

"We had a run in with the demon that killed our mom... Azazel. It possessed dad, and tried kill me. Dad managed to break through and stop it before it finished me off, but I lost a lot of blood. The demon smoked out, and Sammy was driving us to the hospital when we were hit by an eighteen wheeler."

"Oh my God."

"Yeah, another demon, possessing the trucker. By the time we got to the hospital I was pretty much dead. Dad and Sam were banged up, but they were okay. Then suddenly I'm awake and healthy and a few minutes later, dad drops dead."

"The demon?"

"He made a deal with the son of a bitch."

"Not John!" Kathleen couldn't believe it. Her eyes were wide.

"Yeah... We didn't think he'd ever do something that stupid either."

Kathleen's eyes began to water the more she thought about. "John's in Hell?"

"No... not anymore." She looked confused, so he explained. "Azazel opened a Hell Gate. A bunch of nasty stuff got out... but so did dad. He actually helped us kill that yellow-eyed bastard."

"So, where is he now?"

"We don't know. He disappeared."

Neither of them spoke for a few minutes. Kathleen wiped the tears from her eyes before they actually fell. "I can't imagine how that made you feel."

Sam came in a few minutes later.

"Definitely a werewolf," he said.

"Heart missing?" Dean asked.

"Yep."

"Alright. Let's try to get some sleep."


	11. Chapter 11

None of them actually slept. Kathleen dozed off once or twice for a few minutes, but she would soon wake up again. Eventually it was time to get up and get ready. They would be heading to the area of the last attack, hoping the werewolf would show its face again. They loaded their weapons with silver bullets.

"I have to admit," Kathleen said, "I'm a little nervous on this one. I only hunted a werewolf once, and I never came face to face with it. The lunar cycle ended before I could catch up with it."

"Just stay close," Dean said. "Don't do anything stupid."

Kathleen rolled her eyes. "You know, I'm getting really tired of you calling what I do stupid. I've been hunting on my own for..."

"Oh, please don't give me that speech again! All I'm saying is think about the fact that there are two other people with you before you act."

The last attack happened in a public park. By the time they got there it was pretty empty. They walked around, checking bushes and trees, listening for any noises that sounded like a wild animal. When they came up empty-handed they met under a tree away from the lights.

"What time was that last victim attacked?" Dean asked.

Sam checked his watch. "Right around this time."

"Do you know where, exactly?"

"Guys," Kathleen said. "Look over there. Those look like bright copper eyes to you behind those trees?"

They looked at a line of trees across the park and immediately saw what she was talking about.

"Definitely," Sam said. "It's not looking over here though."

"No, it's not," Dean said.

They tried to follow its eye line. It was on a walking trail a few yards away. That walking trail turned through the trees, leading straight to the werewolf. A female jogger rounded the corner as they watched.

"Oh, come on," Dean said, "what woman in her right mind jogs alone at night?" Sam and Kathleen both gave him an odd look. "What?" he asked. "Am I wrong? It's insane."

Sam turned to Kathleen. "You go try to stop her from going into the trees. We'll go around the other way and get behind the werewolf. Maybe we can sneak up on it and get close enough to shoot it."

"Be careful," she said as she headed towards the woman. When she got closer she saw that the woman was wearing earphones. Dean was right... incredibly stupid. She'd have to get into the woman's line of vision. Kathleen ran faster to get ahead of her a little, then waved her arms. The jogger stopped and pulled out her earphones, looking around a bit anxiously. Kathleen stayed far enough away as to not make the woman nervous.

"I'm sorry," Kathleen said, "I didn't mean to scare you. I was wondering if you'd seen my dog. I was walking him and he got away from me. I've been looking for the last fifteen minutes and I just can't find him."

"No, I haven't. I'm sorry. What kind  
of dog is it?"

"It's a Yorkie."

There was a rustling in the bushes a few feet away and they both looked.

"Could that be your dog?"

A deep growl followed.

"That's not my dog."

Kathleen backed up and instinctively pulled the jogger behind her. She suddenly heard voices, a yelling in the distance, and she soon realized it was Sam and Dean.

"Run," Kathleen said. The woman stood there with a dumbfounded look so Kathleen pushed her. "Go!" The woman took off running in the opposite direction. Kathleen pulled her gun just as the monster leapt at her. She fired a shot. She was sure she hit the thing, but it kept coming and knocked into her. It hit her with so much force that she flew a good ten feet backwards before a tree stopped her. She hit the ground and tried to get up, but stumbled back down. She saw the monster charging toward her, then heard gun shots. The creature slowed, it's body jerking, then turned away from her. A few more gun shots and the werewolf fell to the ground. She realized it was dead, and as the adrenaline wore off the park started to spin in front of her eyes.

"Guys," she called out. She put her hand to the back of her head where it was throbbing, and it came away red. "I think I may need a doctor."

Sam and Dean ran toward her. Sam picked her up as Dean ran to get the car. That was the last thing she saw before she blacked out. When she woke up in the hospital she had no idea how long she had been there. There was no one in the room with her. She fumbled to find the call button for the nurse's station. A nurse came in a couple of minutes later.

"It's good to see you awake," the nurse smiled at her.

"I came in with a couple of guys... are they still here?"

The nurse nodded. "In the waiting room. Been there the whole time."

"How long is that?"

"About nine hours."

"Can I see them?"

"The doctor should really see you first... but I guess it would be okay for one of them to come back. Is one of them family, or a boyfriend?"

She really wanted to see Dean, but she wasn't ready to take the step of specifically asking for him in a crisis. She wasn't ready to rely on him that way.

"No, they're both just friends."

"Okay, we'll let them decide who comes back." She smiled as she left the room.

A few minutes later Dean opened the door and poked his head in. When he saw that Kathleen was awake he smiled and came in the room, closing the door behind him.

"How you feelin'?"

"Okay. You lose the toss?" Dean gave her a confused look, so she continued. "You got stuck coming to check on me?"

He waved her off. "I wanted to come back. Sammy wanted to come back too, but mostly because he was worried I would pick a fight or something."

"You mean over how it was stupid of me not to run away from that werewolf?"

"Did I say that was stupid?"

"Not yet."

"Not at all. You got that jogger out of there. If you had run too it could have gone after her. You saved her life... that's what we do."

Kathleen looked surprised. "Thanks."

"Getting hurled into a tree wasn't too bright." She started to roll her eyes and Dean laughed. "I'm kidding!"

"Very funny."

He came to the side of her bed and put his hands on the rail, which was lowered. "You had us worried for a while. The doctor said there was some swelling, but he wanted to see if it would go down on its own."

"I'm guessing it did?"

"Yeah, it did. We've pretty much been waiting for you to wake up... took you long enough."

She let out a slight laugh. Dean stared at her.

"You know, if you take a picture it'll last longer," she said.

He smiled and slowly leaned down toward her. Her smile faded as he got closer. He let the tip of his nose brush hers.

"Do you want me to stop?"

"No," she whispered. It was all she could get out. Her nerves were on edge. She was scared and excited. He gently kissed her lips, just pressing his against hers. He didn't want to scare her off or make her uncomfortable. He was pulling away when she parted her lips and kissed him back, putting her hand on his cheek.

He let her pull away first, then looked into her eyes. "You really had me worried."

"What happened to me letting you know when I was ready?"

He backed up a little. "I didn't mean to push you."

"No, it's okay. I'm glad you did it. I've been wanting to for a while now, and I don't think I would have ever worked up the courage to do it." She took his hand and held it in both of hers. "Thank you for being so patient with me."


	12. Chapter 12

They took a few days at Bobby's to make sure Kathleen was fully recovered before getting back on the road. She used the time to go through Bobby's books again. She and Dean hadn't talked about the kiss anymore. He had done it because he was worried about her. There were a couple of times since then, when they were next to each other, when she could see that same look in his eyes. The one he had just before he kissed her in the hospital. But she would move or walk away... and she could have kicked herself. She hated this fear, especially when she liked Dean so much. She had never met a man who made her resolve crack the way he did, but then she had never let a man in enough to do that. Dean was different, and she knew she had to act, but she also knew she would only be able to go so far right now. She still had some issues to get through. Right now she just had to show Dean that she wasn't a stick in the mud. She could have fun and let loose a little.

Bobby was making a supply run and Kathleen decided to go with him. She wanted to get out of the house for a little while, and there were some things she needed for herself. When they got back Sam was inside working on something for Bobby. Dean was outside working on his car. Kathleen brought in the things she bought, then went back outside to talk to Dean after grabbing a beer for him.

"Whatcha doin'?" she asked.

"Just making sure she's at the top of her game." Kathleen handed him the beer. "Thanks."

"I've never really been a car person," Kathleen said, "but every once in a while I see a car that I can really appreciate... this is one of them."

Dean smiled. "Yeah? You like her?"

"I don't know exactly what it is, but she's beautiful."

"She's my baby. Rebuilt her from the ground up after that accident."

"You're kidding?" she asked in surprise.

"Nope. Couldn't let her go."

She realized then that Dean was a sentimentalist... at least to a point. They got quiet and she wondered if he was thinking about John. She decided now would be a good time for her plan. She walked behind him a little as he stared at the car.

"Hey... Dean?"

When he turned around, she had a can in her hand and she started spraying him.

"What the hell?!"

She was laughing, and when he realized it was Silly String he started laughing too. She stopped her attack to let him process.

"What got into you?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "I just felt like having a little fun." She started spraying him again and he lunged after the can. She took off running, but Dean was faster. He grabbed her from behind and fought her for the can.

"Give it to me."

"No!"

They were both laughing, and it drew the attention of Bobby and Sam inside the house. Sam got up and looked out of the window to make sure they weren't killing each other, since Kathleen would let out a little scream here and there. He smiled and shook his head as he walked away.

Dean had his hands on the can, but Kathleen wouldn't let go. She got herself turned around so that she was facing him, which ended up being a mistake. He was able to get a better grip and turned it on her, spraying her with Silly String. He wrapped an arm around her making sure she couldn't get away, and she screamed as he sprayed her until the can ran out. He threw the can down and pulled off a few strings that had landed on her face.

"We're gonna have to pat you down when you get back from the store... check you for weapons," Dean said.

Kathleen was still laughing, and as Dean smiled at her she saw the same look in his eyes. His arm was still around her, holding her close. She didn't even think about. She leaned into him and pressed her lips to his. That was all the encouragement Dean needed. He wrapped both arms around her and almost lifted her off of the ground as they kissed. Kathleen ran her fingers through his hair and, for a moment, they were the only two people that existed. Their kiss was the only thing happening in the world.

She slowly pulled away and he rested his forehead against hers.

"Wow," she whispered.

Dean smiled. "I knew we'd be great together. And that was just a kiss."

"Dean..."

"I know... I'm not pushing. That was just an FYI."

"Do you really still want me with all my drama? I mean, there are girls out there who would be more than willing."

"I think I want you more now. To be honest, for a while all I wanted was to kill you."

"Mutual," she said smiling.

"But we've got a lot in common. I think we understand each other, for the most part. And I still think you're hot."

She gave him another quick kiss.

"And I'm really glad you're coming out of your shell," Dean said with a grin.

"I'm trying. I don't wanna be scared anymore. I'm tired of hiding."

He pulled her closer into a tight embrace. She rested her head against his shoulder, closed her eyes, and sighed. She hadn't felt so at peace since before her parents died, and she didn't want to let go. When she opened her eyes she saw the Impala's hood still up, and she pulled away.

"I guess I'll let you get back to your car."

Dean held is arms out at his sides. "Are you gonna make me pick all this crap off myself?" he asked, referring to the Silly String.

She reached up and pulled a string out of this hair. "Yeah, I am." When he gave her a surprised look, she laughed. "Hey, I have to pick it off of myself, too. And I think I got it worse than you did."

He smiled at her and started picking the string off of himself. She looked back over her shoulder at him as she walked to the house. It felt good to open up to someone. She was glad that someone turned out to be Dean.

A small part of her brain whispered, "I hope I don't regret it."


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Don't forget to review, guys. It lets me know you're reading and keeps me inspired to continue. Good or bad, let me know what you think.**

Kathleen stayed just outside the kitchen door picking the Silly String off of herself. Dean had gotten her good with it, and she felt like she would never get it all off, especially what was in her hair. She looked up at the sound of the door opening to see Sam smiling at her.

"What happened to you?" he asked.

"A little joke backfired on me." She continued trying to get the stuff off.

Sam laughed. "You need some help?"

She let out a grateful sigh. "Yes, please."

Sam helped her with the stuff in her hair that she couldn't see. They eventually got it all out.

"Thanks. What were you coming out for?"

"Oh, uh... honestly? I wanted to make sure you two were okay. We heard you laughing and screaming and when it stopped..."

Kathleen laughed. "You thought one of us was dead?"

"Something like that," Sam said with a chuckle. "I can never tell with you two. One minute you're fine and the next you're at each others' throats."

"Well, I'll take the blame for most of it. It's something I'm working on, but I think Dean and I... we're getting along a lot better now."

"That's good."

They went inside. Sam returned to his computer, helping Bobby with some research. Kathleen went into the kitchen, where Bobby was on the phone. She listened as she made herself a sandwich. He was giving someone named Garth instructions on a spell. She sat across from him at the small table in the kitchen, watching him get more frustrated by the minute. He was still on the phone when she finished her sandwich. As she stood to clean up, Dean came through the door. Kathleen was at the sink, washing a few dishes that had collected there. Dean walked up behind her, close enough to barely touch her body with his, putting his hands on the counter at her sides.

"You got cleaned up nice," he whispered in her ear.

"Sam helped me."

The flirting tone left his voice. "Helped you how?"

"He helped me get the stuff out of my hair that I couldn't see." She turned slightly so she could see his face and whispered, "Do I detect a hint of jealousy?" Before he had a chance to respond she started laughing.

"What's so funny?"

"You still have some Silly String in you hair."

"Man..." he ran a hand through his hair, "I thought I got it all out."

"Don't do that in here," Kathleen said. She grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the kitchen door. "Come on."

Outside, she found an old, rusted chair for him to sit in. She stood behind him and started trying to pick the string out of his hair.

"I think I may have matted it in when we were kissing," she said.

"Then it was worth it."

She gently pulled on his hair to get him to look up at her. "Can you go two minutes without flirting?" When he smiled at her she pushed his head back down.

After a few minutes of trying, Kathleen gave up. "I think you'll need to wash the rest out. It's stuck to your hair."

"Awesome." Dean stood from the chair and looked at Kathleen. "You ready to pick up that demon's trail again?"

She looked at him in surprise. "Seriously?"

"I wouldn't joke about this. I think we've laid off long enough. What do you say?"

"I'm more than ready. Where do we start?"

"You get anything from the reading you've been doing?"

"No. Nothing that would help us find it."

"Then we pick up where you left off... we trap demons until we get answers."

"Won't that draw Crowley's attention again?"

"Most likely, but we've got your back now." He reached out to take her hand and pulled her around the chair, into his arms. "I'll keep you safe."

They went back inside to tell Sam they decided to get back on the road. They would follow omens and signs to track down possessions and do some interrogating. Sam seemed hesitant.

"Guys, Bobby just finished telling me how much he's appreciated my help the last few days. He's been so busy. I don't think we should just leave."

"Sam, we promised Kathleen we would help her find that demon. She's waited long enough."

"Just give me a week, Dean."

"No, if Bobby really needs your help that bad then you can stay, but we're gonna go. You can meet up with us when you're ready."

"Dean," Kathleen said, "are you sure?"

"Yeah. We can handle it. You okay with that, Sam?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"Okay. We'll head out in the morning. Tonight we look for omens and pick a direction, after I wash this crap out of my hair."

The next morning, Dean and Kathleen had a direction. They were headed to Chicago. The car ride had been quiet. Kathleen was nervous. She had never been alone with Dean. Not really. She was already anxious over the idea of them sharing a motel room alone.

With a few stops for food and gas, Dean got them to Chicago in about eleven hours. They had borrowed a laptop that Bobby had laying around. They found a cafe with wifi, and Kathleen started looking for odd local stories and checking the omens they had seen the night before. Specifically, an electrical storm that seemed to pop up out of nowhere.

"The storm's moved about an hour south of here."

"Great. So, back in the car."

"Wait. Are we sure we're not just chasing a real storm?"

"No, we're not. But it's the best we have right now."

They drove for another hour and found a place to use the laptop. "Okay," Kathleen said, "the storm is still in this area." As she spoke, she watched the storm system disappear from the radar on her screen. "It's gone."

"Gone?"

"Like it just stopped."

The lights began to flicker. Dean went outside, and Kathleen quickly grabbed the laptop and followed. Every street light and every building was flickering, and then it stopped.

"Something's here," Dean said. "Let's get to it."

Dean picked his way into an abandoned warehouse close by. They got the place set up with devil's traps and protective symbols before setting up the summoning ritual. Bobby found it for them. It would draw any demon that was close.

Dean said the incantation, threw a match into the mixture, and they watched as a demon appeared, looking a little confused.


	14. Chapter 14

The demon quickly took in the fact that it was standing inside a devil's trap. It was possessing the body of a man, maybe in his thirties. It's eyes went from Kathleen to Dean, then it smiled.

"Dean Winchester... It's an honor."

"Good, then maybe you can honor us with a few answers."

Kathleen slightly leaned into Dean and whispered, "Are you guys on familiar terms with a lot of demons?"

The demon overheard and laughed. "All demons know who Dean Winchester is. Sam too, for that matter. It's a long, bloody history."

"Well, let's save the catching up for another time," Dean said. "We have questions."

"You won't get answers."

"See, I was hoping to do this the easy way." He pulled out the demon knife and played with it a bit. "We're looking for a particular demon. We don't have a name, but I can give you the names of two of his victims."

"Are you kidding me?" The demon laughed. "I don't remember the names of people that _I've_ killed, and you want me to know the names of some _other_ demon's kills?"

"Okay, then. Tell us how we can find out."

"Get bent!"

Dean walked toward the demon with the blade in this hand. It was visibly scared, and it started to stall.

"Dean, Dean, Dean... I never thought you would pick up a blade again once you were topside."

"What can I say? It's a skill I don't mind using on demons."

"Yes, but how many of those demons are souls that you twisted? How many did you help create? Ten years is a long time, Dean."

"Shut your mouth." Dean plunged the knife into the demon's leg, quickly removing it since the demon wasn't strapped down, and it let out a horrible scream.

Kathleen had watched quietly, wondering what the demon was talking about, until Dean knifed him. She pulled Dean aside, further away so the demon wouldn't hear this time.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Trying to get answers."

"You just stabbed a man!"

"No, I stabbed a demon."

"Who is possessing a man's body. He doesn't know anything. Let's exorcise him and move on."

"We just have to put a little pressure..."

"No." Kathleen shook her head, walked back to the demon and recited the exorcism. Dean tried to stop her, but she kept going. The demon was gone, and the man's body fell limp to the floor. Dean reached to check for a pulse. He was alive. He slapped the man's face a little, slowly coaxing him awake.

"Hey, buddy. You with us?"

When the man finally opened his eyes, he looked terrified.

"Do you know what happened to you?"

"I was... I was possessed."

"That's right."

The man looked at Dean. "You stabbed me."

"Yes, I did."

"It hurt the demon too, didn't it?"

Dean nodded.

"Good."

Kathleen was stunned. The man was glad Dean stabbed him... sort of. Dean helped the man off of the floor.

"Come on. We'll drop you off at a hospital. Just, uh... no demon talk, okay? You got jumped."

"You don't have to worry about that."

Kathleen's thoughts were occupied all the way to the hospital. She knew Dean and the man were talking, but she wasn't paying attention. All she could think about was the difference she saw in Dean. When the man was possessed, all Dean saw was a demon. He was ready to wound and kill. Once the demon was gone, she saw a change back to the Dean she recognized. He became caring and concerned. She was having a hard time processing the differences.

They dropped the man off at the hospital and drove out of town. Dean wanted to put some distance between them and the exorcism in case Crowley had his ears open for them. When they finally stopped for a motel room for the night, Dean went in to book the room while Kathleen waited in the car. He waved her over as he came out, his duffel already in hand. She grabbed her bag and followed him.

Dean unlocked the door and tossed his bag onto the closest bed.

"You want the shower first?" he asked.

"Yeah." She grabbed a few things from her bag and headed to the bathroom. When she came out, Dean was on the phone. He was filling someone in on their trip so far, which meant it was either Sam or Bobby. She finished up and climbed under the covers of her bed. When Dean was done with his call, he took his turn in the shower. He expected her to be asleep when he came out, but she wasn't. She was staring at the ceiling, wide awake.

"You okay?" Dean asked.

"Not really."

"What's wrong?"

"What happened back there?" she asked, sitting up.

"What are you talking about?"

"You stabbed a man, Dean."

"Are we gonna do this again?"

"I'm sorry, but there was something very different about you back there. And that demon knew why. What did it mean about you being 'topside' and picking up a blade?"

Dean walked over to his bed and pulled the covers down. "We're not gonna do this right now."

"Yes, we are. You went cold. You scared me a little."

Dean sat on the edge of his bed, facing hers. "It's kind of a hard thing to talk about, Kate."

"I get that. So were the things I told you about myself, but I wanted you to understand. Help me understand."

Dean stared at her for several minutes before he realized she wasn't going to let him off the hook.

"Not long before we killed the demon that killed our mom... Sammy died."

"What?"

"He was stabbed in the back, literally. His spinal cord was severed and he died in my arms."

Kathleen couldn't wrap her head around it. "I don't... How can..." She stopped when Dean held his hand up.

"I couldn't handle it. I couldn't live without Sammy. I'm his big brother, you know? I had to do whatever it took to save him. I had already lost Dad. I couldn't lose Sam too. So, I made a deal."

"Like John?"

"Yeah. I got one year and she brought Sam back."

"How did you get out of it?"

"I didn't." Seeing her confused look, he continued. "I went to Hell, Kate."

"If you went to Hell on a demon deal, how are you here?"

"That's not important right now. You want to know what the demon was talking about, right?" She nodded, and he continued, looking away. "When I was in Hell... I was tortured. Every day. Not some vague, poetic notion of some kind of spiritual torture. Physical, bloody, painful torture. For months, which felt like years in Hell. At the end of each day, I was given a choice. The torture would stop if I picked up a blade and tortured others. And I said no, every day... until I couldn't take it anymore."

"You said yes."

He nodded, still not able to look at her. "I tried to forget about it all once I was back, but the angels... they had me use the things I'd learned against the demon that taught them to me. I realized then what an effective tool it can be against a demon. So, I do it if I have to."

"But it's not just the demon. There's a person in there."

Dean finally looked at her. "I'm not saying it's easy. Don't think I don't hate myself for it. But when you've seen the things I've seen... you can't always let these things go. See, the one we let go today..."

"We didn't let it go. We exorcised it."

"Right. It went to back to Hell. Crowley probably already knows everything by now. And he'll know you're working with us now."

"But this isn't a life or death situation. We're doing this to find out who killed my parents... I'm not okay with killing people to find that out."

Dean nodded. "We can do it your way, but you have to understand that Crowley will be on us, sooner rather than later."

"I understand." She got out of her bed and sat next to Dean on his. She sat sideways, with one foot on the floor, so she could face him. "How did you get out of Hell?"

"An angel pulled me out."

"Wow... you must be pretty important."

"Yeah, if that's what you wanna call being an angel's pawn in the apocalypse."

"What does that mean?"

Dean shook his head. "It's really a long story. Another time."

She nodded and took his hand. "Okay." She stared at their hands as she played with his fingers. "Is that why you have trouble sleeping sometimes? Do you still have nightmares of Hell?"

"Sometimes... You don't need a photographic memory to remember every detail of that place."

"I can only imagine."

"I hope that's all you ever have to do."

Kathleen ran her fingers through his hair and over the nape of his neck. She slid her hand down to his jaw and he leaned into it as he lifted his hand to hers, holding it against his face. An overwhelming urge came over her to hold him. She lifted her other hand to his face and pulled him into a soft kiss. Dean soon deepened the kiss and, without removing his lips from hers, he began shifting his position to face her. He ran a hand down her side as he knelt over her and gently began to lay her back.

When Kathleen's head hit the pillow she was back in her old house, on the sofa with her boyfriend. She opened her eyes to look at Dean, but all she saw was the face of the one who killed her parents. Her head began to swim, and she was beginning to feel like she couldn't breathe.

"Dean..." She pushed on his shoulders a little, but he kept kissing a line down her chin. "Dean, stop," she said, forcefully. He immediately pulled back and stared at her. "I'm sorry," she said. "I was..." She hesitated, but Dean knew.

"I'm the one who should be sorry. I told you I wouldn't push." He sat up, putting his feet back in the floor, and helped her back into a sitting position.

"You're not pushing. I want to... Believe me, I wish I could completely open myself to you, but I can't. I'm trying, but..." She shook her head in frustration.

"It's okay, Kate." He cradled the back of her head with his hand as she started to cry.

"It's not. I'm so tired of being scared."

"Alright, so it's not okay now... It will be." He pulled her into a hug and let her cry. "I've got you, Katie."

Kathleen smiled through her tears. "My dad used to call me Katie."

"I'm sorry... I won't do it anymore."

"No," she said, lifting her head to look into his eyes. "I like the way you say it."

Dean smiled and wiped a tear from her cheek with his thumb before tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"We should get some sleep," Dean said.

Kathleen nodded and climbed back under her covers. Dean turned off the light and got comfortable in his own bed. He spent a good half hour remembering his time in Hell before the thoughts were replaced with an image of Kathleen in his arms. He eventually drifted off to sleep. Kathleen spent most of the night awake, fighting off memories of the demon and her parents.


	15. Chapter 15

Dean and Kathleen tracked and exorcised two more demons before Sam joined up with them nine days later. They trapped another one with Sam after another three days. They weren't any closer to finding answers. After her flashback while kissing Dean, Kathleen began pulling away again. Dean gave her the space she needed. As much as he could sharing a motel room. She was doing a little better with Sam around. It made her feel like there was less pressure, and it made her feel bad that she felt pressured since Dean wasn't putting any pressure on her. She knew it wasn't Dean... it was her. Her issues. Her fears. She hated it. Dean could see her struggling. She didn't hide her emotions as well as she thought she did.

They had just finished with their latest demon the day before. Now, in their motel room, Kathleen stepped into the bathroom for a few minutes. Dean took the time to talk to Sam.

"Sam, would you mind getting your own room?"

"Why?"

"I wanna spend some time alone with Kate. We were making some progress, but then we had a set back."

"What did you do?" Sam asked with an accusing look.

"It's not like that. We're not fighting... I can't really explain, okay? But we were doing good, and I wanna get back to that."

"You really like her, huh?"

"Hey, what can I say? Chick is hot."

Sam shook his head. Dean wouldn't admit it, but Sam thought there was more than a physical attraction there.

"Okay, I'll get my own room. But don't you think we should ask her first?"

"No... she'll be fine."

Kathleen came out the bathroom to find Sam with one hand on the doorknob, and his bag in the other hand.

"Where are you going?"

Sam opened his mouth to answer, but Dean beat him to it.

"He's gonna get his own room."

"Why?" The look on Kathleen's face was full of shock and a bit of fear.

Dean nodded at Sam for him to leave. When Sam closed the door behind him, Dean answered her.

"I asked him to."

"Why would you do that?"

Dean walked to her and took her hands in his. "Because we need to be alone. You said you want to open up to me. I get why you're pulling away. I do. But I'm not gonna let you. You're tired of being scared, right?" Kathleen nodded. "So, we're gonna fight through this. Together." He pulled her into his arms. When she felt him kiss the top of her head, she wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Dean..."

"Hmm?"

"You realize you're the first man I've trusted this way since it happened?"

"Yeah, I do. And don't think I don't get what a big step that is all on its own."

Kathleen sighed and pulled back slightly so she could see his face. "What worries me is that the only way for me to truly know if I'm past it all, and really ready, is to just go for it... but, if I'm not... the flashbacks happen again. I hated doing that to you. I don't want to jerk you around."

"You're not jerking me around." He thought for a minute and smiled. "You know, we need to put that photographic memory of yours to better use."

"What do you mean?"

"We need to make it so that when we kiss, or whatever," he said with a grin, "you see my face... not his."

"That would make me happy. What do you suggest?"

"Baby steps... we keep moving forward, and you focus on me." He slowly leaned toward her, his eyes flicking back and forth between her eyes and her lips. "Don't close your eyes."

Kathleen fought the urge to let her eyes flutter shut as he kissed her. He also kept his eyes open, making the kisses soft, repeatedly pulling away only to recapture her lips a second later. He wanted to give her time to look at him, look into his eyes, and focus on his face.

He pulled away one last time and cupped her face in his hands. "Now, close your eyes." She slowly closed them. "You see my face?" Dean asked.

"Yes," Kathleen said with a smile.

Dean gently pressed his lips to hers again. He pressed harder when she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her. She broke the kiss long enough to say, "Kissing you is not a problem."

Dean smiled against her lips before getting in one last kiss and pulling away. "Okay... Come here." He grabbed her hand and led her to the couch. He saw the nervous look on her face as they sat down. "Takin' it slow... close your eyes." She hesitated, but closed her eyes. "You see me?" he asked.

"Yes."

Dean leaned in, whispering into her ear, "You hear my voice?"

"Yes."

He slowly kissed along her jaw letting his lips lightly drag across her skin. Taking his cues from her, he began to kiss her neck when she buried her fingers in his hair. Dean fought to keep himself in check. He wanted nothing more than to lay her back and make love to her, but he knew he couldn't take it that far. Not yet. He had gotten as far as laying her down last time before she panicked.

The couch was also all wrong. That was where the demon had tried to... No, he wouldn't do this on the couch. He made his way back up to her lips and they kissed for a while before Dean pulled away.

"See," he said, "baby steps."

"You kissing my neck that way is a baby step?" he asked with a grin.

"It is for me. Remember, I tried to get you into bed the first night we met."

She laughed, "I remember."

Dean smiled. "Of course you do. Man, this memory thing of yours... if I do something wrong you'll never let me live it down."

"Nah... I only use my powers for good." She gave him a big smile and he couldn't help but laugh. Dean heard his cell ringing, and almost ignored it, but decided it could be important. It was Sam.

"What's up?" Dean asked.

"Heavy demon signs over northeast Colorado. I think we should head out tomorrow morning."

"Sounds good. Right after breakfast."

"Dean, if we stop for breakfast then you need to get up earlier."

Dean groaned. "Hang on." He put the phone against his chest and looked at Kathleen. "Wake up early and stop for breakfast or sleep in and eat on the road?"

"I vote for sleep," Kathleen said. "Haven't been getting much of it lately."

Dean gave her hand a squeeze before putting the phone back up to his ear. "Okay, Sam. We'll eat on the road." Dean disconnected the call and stared at Kathleen. "You still haven't slept since the flashback?"

"I think I got four hours last night."

"Broken up?"

"Yeah."

"Why don't you go take your shower. When can talk more before we go to sleep."

"Okay."

Once Dean was sure she was in the shower, he grabbed his bag and left the room, quietly closing the door behind him, and headed to Sam's room.

"Dude, let me use your shower," Dean said.

"What's wrong with yours?"

"Kate's in it."

"So, wait 'til she gets out."

"I don't wanna waste time on showers. I wanna be done when she's done, alright?"

Sam stared at Dean with an odd look. "Are you feeling okay?"

Dean was getting frustrated. "If you don't let me in, I swear..."

"Fine! Use the shower."

Dean made it back to his room in time to hear Kathleen turn the water off. He sat in the couch and waited for her to finish drying her hair. She was surprised to see that he had already showered when she came out.

"I used Sam's."

Kathleen just nodded.

"I wanted to be done when you were. I was thinking, a good way for us to move forward would be for us to be physically close. Maybe we should sleep together." When Kathleen's face dropped he realized it came out wrong. "No, no... I mean, actually sleep. Fully clothed, no funny stuff... sleep."

The panic disappeared from her face, but she still hesitated. "I don't know."

"Come on. It doesn't hurt to try. You can hug and kiss me with no problems." He walked over to her and put his arms around her. "I think me holding you while you sleep would be nice. We can talk until you fall asleep, if you want. And you say the word... I'm back in my own bed."

"So, just to clarify... You're volunteering to cuddle?"

"Hey, I love to cuddle. But I'll deny it if it gets out."

She let out a laugh and nodded. "Okay."

Dean let her get in the bed first then climbed in next to her. She was laying on her back, while Dean laid on his side, facing her, his arm propping up his head.

"You okay?"

"So far, so good."

He pulled her onto her side and ran his hand through her hair. Kathleen stared at him, taking in every detail of his face. This was the face she wanted to see when she closed her eyes. The face she wanted to see when she dreamed, if she ever managed to sleep long enough to dream.

She had hoped that John Winchester's son would be the same brave, caring man that John had been, but Dean had far exceeded her expectations. She never expected to tell him, or anyone, about what happened to her, but, somehow, he had gotten her to open up. There were doubts in the beginning. The fighting they did, and the arguments they had... who would have thought they would end up here?

"Kiss me," she said.

"Are you sure?"

She nodded, so Dean slowly pressed his lips to hers. She rolled her body closer to his, and closed her eyes, so he deepened their kiss. He moved a strand of her hair back and made his way down to her neck again. When his hand began to travel down her arm, she had a flash of her old boyfriend's face and opened her eyes. Dean felt her body stiffen, so he stopped. When he pulled back she grabbed his face and stared at him.

"I'm okay," she said. "It was just a flash. It's gone." She leaned in to kiss him again, but Dean pulled back.

"Are you sure you wanna keep this up?"

"Positive."

Dean kissed her for a few minutes, but he didn't let his hands roam. After a while, Dean laid on his back and pulled Kathleen next to him. She put her head against his shoulder and her arm over him. With her hand on his chest, she played with the fabric of his t-shirt.

"You're a good man, Dean Winchester."

"I guess I have my moments."

"Well, you've had lots of them since I've met you. Thank you."

Dean silently kissed the top of her head, and they were soon both asleep.


	16. Chapter 16

Dean woke up slightly turned on his side. Kathleen was still laying in his arms with her face in his neck. He noticed how relaxed her body looked, and it made him smile. He wanted her to feel safe and comfortable with him. This was a big step in the right direction.

Her arm rested on his chest, with her hand on his shoulder. He wanted to wake her up with a kiss, but he was worried about her reaction. Instead, he took her hand and held it against his chest.

"Kate..." No response. "Kate, time to wake up." He shook her hand a little and he heard a slight whimper as she nuzzled more into his neck. "Come on, beautiful."

"Do I have to?" Kathleen's voice was muffled and sleepy.

"No... you don't have to. This is your hunt. You can do whatever you want."

She squeezed his hand. "You're right. I have to... in five minutes."

Dean smiled. "Looks like you actually got a good night's sleep last night."

Kathleen still hadn't moved from her position. "Best night in a long time, and not just the sleep."

He wasn't sure if it was the fact that she slept well, or the fact that she was just waking up and still in such a relaxed state, but he was very surprised when he felt her lips on his neck. It seemed odd for her. Such a bold move, considering her fears, but he closed his eyes and let her do it. He liked it.

She freed her hand from his and brought it to his face, leaving it there as she kissed his neck. "Why couldn't I have met you when I was fourteen?"

Dean laughed. "Sweetheart, I'm a few years older than you, so I'm pretty sure I would have been kicked out of your house when you were fourteen."

"Hmmm... true." Kathleen snuggled closer to Dean, wrapping her arm around him. He let his hand glide up and down her arm, stopping once to brush her hair back. When she kissed his neck again, Dean couldn't hold back anymore. He rolled her onto her back and hovered over her as he kissed her. She wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders, pulling him closer. Dean began to kiss down her neck when there was a knock at the door.

"Son of a..." He lifted his head and looked into her eyes. "It's probably Sam."

Kathleen nodded. Dean rolled onto his back again and Kathleen moved to get out of bed, but Dean grabbed her hand.

"Hey... You okay?"

She smiled, leaning over to give him a soft, quick kiss. "I'm very okay."

There was a difference in Kathleen. She could feel it. Dean could see it. She wanted to be happy. To be close to someone again. Dean was helping her do that. The thought of a man touching her had repulsed her, but she loved the feel of Dean's hands. The idea of kissing someone had brought back horrible memories, but Dean had found a way to push through that. Now she almost couldn't bear to pull her lips from his.

But it was more than physical. She had only let in two people after her parents died: John and Jim. Once they were gone, she was completely alone. She had almost forgotten what it was like to rely on another person, or what it meant to be a friend. She had built so many walls so she would never have to feel loss again. So the memories wouldn't surface so much. Dean was tearing through those walls, one by one, and she could have cheered as each one crumbled.

She grabbed a change of clothes and a few other things from her bag, heading to the bathroom as Dean got up to answer the door. He stepped aside to let Sam in. Sam immediately noticed that the bed Dean should have slept in was rumpled, but not unmade.

"Did you two..." he motioned between the two beds with his hand.

Dean gave him a look like he couldn't believe he asked such a question. "Not that it's any of your business, but no."

"If nothing happened, why didn't you sleep in your bed?"

"Ask Kate. If she wants to tell you, you're more than welcome to know."

Sam was about to respond when Kathleen walked out of the bathroom. She was dressed and ready to go.

"I just have to pack a few things, guys."

Dean grabbed his bag. "That's okay. I still have to get dressed." Dean stopped as he passed her. He placed his finger under her chin, lifting her head for a kiss. "I'll only be a minute."

Sam wasn't going to ask Kathleen anything. He thought it would be too personal, especially considering how quiet she had been about her past, but after that kiss...

"Kathleen?"

"Yeah?"

"Did, uh... Did something happen between you two last night?"

Kathleen smiled as she packed her bag. "Is there a specific 'something' you're talking about?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"Then, no... nothing happened."

They weren't giving Sam any answers, and it was driving him crazy.

"Something is different between you two. I mean, Dean did just kiss you."

Kathleen zipped up her bag and stood with her arms folded in front of Sam. "I'm sure you've noticed that I have my share of issues."

"Yeah, most of them with Dean."

Kathleen nodded and laughed. "Kind of. There are reasons behind it. Things that I've only told Dean. He's helping me through it... and that's all I can really say right now. I hope you're not offended by that, but it's hard to talk about..."

"But you told Dean."

"I had to. Like you said, my issues were with him."

"He's really helping you?"

"Yeah... Does that surprise you?"

"Yeah, a little. Dean's not really one for talking about emotional stuff. It made more sense when I thought something went on here last night."

Kathleen just smiled. Something did happen, though not what Sam was thinking. She let go of the past, even if just a little. It was a big step to be able to push through seeing the monster's face. Something she had never done before. Dean came out of the bathroom and saw Kathleen with her arms folded.

"Everything okay?" he asked.

"Everything's fine," Kathleen said. "Can I talk you alone before we leave... just for a minute?"

"Sure. Sam, can you wait outside?"

"Sure thing."

Sam closed the door behind him and Kathleen walked toward Dean.

"You kissed me... in front of your brother."

"Did I?" He smiled.

"As if you didn't know. Is this something we're sharing?"

"I think we should, but only if you want to." Kathleen looked hesitant and didn't say anything. "Come on," Dean said, "we'll talk more in the car. We have to get goin'."

When they walked outside Sam was already behind the wheel. Since he had met up with Dean and Kathleen, he had one of Bobby's cars. On the road they talked about what each of them had told Sam and what they would share going forward. Kathleen gave Dean permission to tell Sam her story. She couldn't. She didn't want to talk about it anymore.

They got to Colorado in just a few hours and went straight to work. They found an old, abandoned house in the middle of nowhere and got it set up with devil's traps. Dean performed the spell to summon the nearest demon. As they expected, they didn't have to wait long. What they didn't expect was who popped in.

Dean instinctively moved Kathleen behind him, which made her question, "Dean... what's wrong?"

"It's Crowley."


	17. Chapter 17

"The Winchesters," Crowley said in an aggregated tone. "Of course." He looked around Dean and ran his eyes over Kathleen. "Keeping better company these days, I see. What's your name, darling?"

Kathleen stepped out from behind Dean, slipping back into her protective, hard attitude. "Kathleen Rowe... I have it on good authority that you've heard of me."

"Rowe... Rowe..." Crowley pretended he had to think for a moment. "Ah, yes... you're the one exorcising my demons. Interrupting my plans."

"The one you have a hit out on."

"Heard about that, have you?" Kathleen nodded with look of disgust. "Well," Crowley said, "I assume you've summoned me to call off the dogs."

"Actually," Dean said, "we weren't summoning you specifically. You just happen to be the one who showed up."

"Okay, then. We all know if you exorcise me I'll come back and kill you all. So... you let me go, and I'll take the price off of your pretty little head."

Dean pulled out the demon knife and gave it a twirl. "Now, even if that was all that we were after, that would be a stupid deal. I mean, killing you would kill your orders. Including your hit on Kathleen."

"I'm looking for a specific demon," Kathleen said. "It killed my parents fifteen years ago."

"My, my... you have something in common with the boys here. An overdeveloped sense of vengeance."

"We want a name," Dean said.

"I don't have one."

"Then we want a way to find it. If anyone would know how, you would. You give us that, call off the hit on Kathleen... we let you go."

Crowley seemed to weigh his options. "Fine," he said. "There's a ritual, but you may find one or two of the ingredients hard to come by."

"We'll figure it out," Sam said. He placed a pen and notepad onto the floor inside the devil's trap. "Write it all down."

Crowley wrote down the ritual and everything they would need for it, then placed the pen and pad on the floor. Sam picked it up and read it over. He nodded at Dean, who turned back to Crowley.

"The hit on Kathleen?"

Crowley snapped his fingers. "Gone. Provided, of course, that she stops exorcising so many of my demons."

"If this ritual works," Kathleen said, "then I'll just be going after one more."

"Wonderful. You boys ready to let me out?"

Dean used the demon knife to scrap off some paint on the circle of the devil's trap.

"Just one thing before I pop out," Crowley said, turning to Kathleen. "I'd think twice about hanging around these two. Everyone they know is dead at their hands, directly or indirectly. They only care about each other when push comes to shove."

"Shut up, Crowley," Dean growled. His knuckles began turning white as he gripped the knife in his hand.

Kathleen scoffed. "Like you care?"

"Consider it a professional courtesy."

Crowley was gone, and Dean walked over to Kathleen, putting a hand to her cheek.

"You okay?" Dean watched as her tough exterior faded and he saw the questions in her eyes. What Crowley said had gotten to her. "We'll talk about it, okay?" Kathleen nodded. "Let's get out of here."

They headed to Bobby's. He was likely to have what they needed, or at least know how to get it. During the drive, Kathleen thought about what Crowley said. Demons lied, she knew that, but sometimes they told the truth. She would let Dean explain. No way was she going to trust a demon over him.

It was late when they made it back to Bobby's, but he was still up. They filled him in on what happened. He and Sam started going through the list of ingredients. Since it was already late, Dean thought he and Kathleen should talk. He didn't want Crowley's words floating around in her head any more. He told Sam, then grabbed Kathleen by the hand, heading toward the stairs.

"Dean, what are you doing?"

"We're gonna talk about what Crowley said. Come on."

He took her up to her bedroom where they could have some privacy, and told her everything. He told her about every person that died trying to help them. He told her about the times he and Sam put each other before anyone else. But he also made sure to tell her about all the people they saved. They talked for hours, long after Sam and Bobby had gone to bed.

For the most part, Kathleen sat cross-legged on the bed, listening to Dean tell his story. She put herself in Dean's place in each situation. She had no siblings, but she imagined what she would have done to protect her parents. Dean sat on the edge of the bed with his feet on the floor. He was still talking, but Kathleen had heard enough.

"Dean, you don't have to say anymore. I understand."

"Do you, really?"

"Yes. If I knew what I know now, there's no telling what I would have done to protect my parents. I understand that. And I would never expect you to choose me over Sam if it came down to it."

"Kate..."

"But I know you'd protect me. You tried to protect me today, getting in front of me when Crowley appeared. I know you would never intentionally put me in harms way or hurt me. I can't ask for more than that." Kathleen scooted closer to Dean, resting her bent knee against his leg. "And how you're helping me... How many guys would bother to do what you're doing?"

Dean put his hand in her knee. "You do realize that it's not a completely selfless act? I am hoping to get lucky eventually."

"Says the man who could walk into any bar and leave with his choice of women. But you're waiting for me to work through my issues?"

"What can I say? I like a challenge."

Kathleen couldn't help but smile, but she really wanted Dean to know what it meant to her.

"Don't cheapen it, Dean."

"Sorry."

"But, for the record," she took his hand in hers, "I'm hoping you get lucky, too."

Dean smiled and leaned in, but stopped just short of kissing her. "It's late," he said.

"So, spend the night with me. I'd love to wake up in your arms again."

"I'd like that, too." Dean stood and pulled the covers back for her, then got into the bed himself. They lay facing each other.

"I have to ask," Kathleen said. "This morning in bed, if Sam hadn't knocked..."

"I would have gone as far as you let me." He ran his hand through her hair and cradled her head. "I want you, Kate."

"I want you, too. Maybe we could make those baby steps a little bigger?"

Dean's hand disappeared beneath the sheet and down to her hip. He had almost forgotten they were both still in jeans. He knew she wouldn't be ready for him to take those off. So, he slid his hand beneath her shirt, letting the back of his fingers glide up her side. They never broke eye contact. When he felt the fabric of her bra, he stopped, gauging her reaction. She seemed okay, so he ran his palm over her breast, gently squeezing through the material. She gasped lightly and closed her eyes. Her hand slid up along his forearm, pulling her shirt up until her hand was over his. Dean removed his hand and placed it on her cheek, kissing her heatedly. He was practically on top of her again before he pulled away. They were both breathing heavily.

"It's late," he said looking down at her. "If this isn't going anywhere tonight, we should stop now."

"Okay."

He gave her one last kiss before motioning that she should turn onto her other side. She turned over and snuggled back into Dean as he wrapped his arm around her. He pulled her hair back and whispered in her ear.

"Sweet dreams, Kate."


	18. Chapter 18

Somewhere in her subconscious, Kathleen felt something soft and warm on her face. It interrupted her dreams; memories of her and Dean the night before. She slowly began to realize that the soft, warm something felt familiar and pleasant. Dean's lips. She thought she must still be dreaming after all, until she heard his voice.

"Kate..."

The soft warmth touched her lips in a kiss and she felt herself kissing back. She knew it was no longer a dream, and opened her eyes to find Dean staring into them. He pulled back for just a moment, giving her time to object to this wake up call, but she said nothing. He saw no fear or hesitation in her. His kisses came stronger now, and his hand ran through her hair, slowly down her neck to the top button of her shirt.

Kathleen's hands had traveled up Dean's back and found a temporary home in his hair, pulling his lips closer, if at all possible. Dean slowly unbuttoned her shirt, letting it fall open on its own, before sitting up to pull his t-shirt off. He smiled at her before lowering his lips back onto hers. She almost told him to wait, so she could take in his gorgeous body, but she wanted his lips on her. She moaned a little as he began to kiss down her neck. She stopped breathing when she realized he wasn't stopping there. His lips followed the trail where her shirt buttons had been. She felt a nervous excitement... no fear. She didn't even acknowledge the lack of fear. Thought nothing of its absence. All she was focused on was what Dean was doing, which was kissing a path right to the top of her jeans and back up again. When he reached the spot between her breasts, his lips slowly made their way to the left, joined by his hand. The sensation caused Kathleen's back to arch, pushing herself into Dean even more. He smiled and looked at her. Her eyes were on his hand. Her mouth was open slightly, as if some sound was trying to escape, but couldn't. They made eye contact and his lips crashed onto hers again. She ran her hands over his shoulders and chest, trying remember the feeling, but she was on sensory overload. Dean was reaching for the button on her jeans when there was a loud knock on the door.

Dean mumbled something under his breath as Kathleen let out a quiet groan. They stared at each other quietly, almost as if they were waiting to see if the intruder would go away. Another loud knock followed.

"What!" Dean shouted.

They heard Sam's voice through the door. "It's after noon. Bobby says you're lazy and you've slept long enough."

"Yeah, we're comin'," Dean said, rolling onto his back.

They heard Sam's footsteps disappear, and Kathleen snuggled next to Dean, running her hand over his bare chest.

"Any monsters?" Dean asked.

"None. It was just me and you." She stared into his eyes before kissing him gently. "We'd better get down there before Bobby comes up. I'm gonna take a shower first, though."

Kathleen got up, buttoned her shirt, and grabbed a few things before heading out of the bedroom. Dean laid there a minute after she left. Twice now they had been interrupted, and it frustrated him. Kathleen seemed ready.

Dean was definitely ready. He hadn't been with another woman since he found out what happened to Kathleen. He had wanted her since he first saw her in the bar. Her rejections hadn't stopped him from hooking up with other women, but something changed once he found out why she rejected him. He wanted to focus on her and help her get through this, and it was about more than hooking up, now. He felt a connection with her. Maybe it was that she lost her parents to a demon. Maybe it was that she knew his dad. He wasn't sure.

He pulled his shirt back on and went downstairs. Bobby was at his desk. Sam sat on the sofa.

"What's up?" Dean asked.

"Where's Kathleen?" Sam asked.

"Shower."

"Well," Bobby said, "Crowley wasn't lyin' about some of the ingredients bein' hard to find. A couple are rare, but I happen to have them locked away."

"That's great!" Dean said.

"But, there is one ingredient that's gonna take a lot of work."

"What's that?"

Sam spoke up. "We need a bone from someone the demon has possessed. We'll have to interrogate more demons, and Crowley isn't gonna like it."

Dean sat down in the chair in front of Bobby's desk. "No, we won't." Sam and Bobby gave him questioning looks, so he explained. "Kate knows who the demon was possessing the night it killed her parents."

"Who?" Sam asked.

"It was her boyfriend."

"Damn," Bobby said, "no wonder she has trust issues."

"Yeah, but it gets worse."

Bobby rolled his eyes, "Doesn't it always?"

"She was going to sleep with her boyfriend that night. They were kinda goin' for it on the couch when her parents walked in. The demon killed them. That's when dad showed up. He started to say an exorcism, but the demon smoked out. That's when she realized that her boyfriend was already dead."

There was silence for a moment before Sam spoke again. "She was fifteen?"

"Yeah... Look, let me tell her, okay?"

"Yeah," Sam said. "Sure."

Kathleen came down the stairs a few minutes later. She greeted everyone and immediately noticed a difference in their tones. She looked at Dean. "I'm guessing you told them?" Dean just nodded. "Okay, guys. Don't go treating me any different."

"Dean is certainly treating you different since he found out," Sam said.

"Yes," Kathleen said, "but we were ready to kill each other before, so that's a good thing. Now he treats me the way you two had always treated me... like a friend, and a hunter. Not like some victim."

"You're right," Sam said. "Sorry."

"No apologies. Let's just move on. You guys have what we need?"

Sam and Bobby looked at Dean, who stood and walked to Kathleen. "I need to talk to you outside for a minute."

She could see the seriousness in his face, so she nodded and followed him outside. "What's wrong?"

"It's one of the ingredients... We need a bone from someone the demon has possessed."

Dean saw a look of panic flash across her face, but she quickly recovered and got to business.

"Okay, so we have to dig him up."

"Sam and I can do it."

"No, I wanna help. This is my battle. My issues... He should just be a skeleton now, right?"

"Should be." He put his hand on her shoulder. "Are you sure you're okay with this?"

Kathleen nodded. "I think I just need a minute alone."

Dean was hesitant, but he gave her some time to herself. Once he was inside, she laid back on the hood of her car and stared at the clouds.

Inside, Sam asked Dean how she was doing.

"She's saying she's okay, but it's gotta be hard to think about. She asked to be alone for a minute. I don't like it, but she says she wants to help."

"To dig him up?"

"Yeah."

"You think that's a good idea?"

"I don't know, man. She's been doing so well. I don't want her to take a step back."

"You know, I wanted to ask... How exactly are you helping her get over what happened to her."

"She closed herself off to protect herself. I'm trying to get her to open up to me."

"Yeah, but..."

As Sam spoke, They heard Kathleen call from outside. "Dean?"

Dean walked outside and found her waiting by the door. She motioned for him to walk with her.

"I've made a decision about a couple of things."

"Okay."

"I definitely want to help. If I can't see his face, then I don't think it will be a problem. What I'm worried about is when we actually summon the demon. It's gonna remember that night. It'll try to torment with it."

"Yeah, it will."

"Dean, we're so close." She stopped walking. Dean had taken another step, so he turned back and stood in front of her. She reached over and let her fingers play with the hem of his shirt. "I don't know what's gonna happen. I don't know how it will affect me. All I know is, I don't want to lose what we've got." She looked into his eyes, "I want to make love to you... before we go through with anything else."

He caressed her face with his hand. "Are you sure?"

"I am now... I may not be if we wait. I don't want that demon messing with my head."

Dean took her hands from his shirt and laced their fingers together. "Do you wanna go to a motel?"

"Yes, but we have to spring for something better than the rooms we usually get. If we're gonna plan for this, I want to do it right."

"Understood. I'll tell Sam and Bobby we'll be back tomorrow..."

"Better make it the day after." She smiled when Dean grinned at her. "I don't know how this is gonna go, Dean. I just want to be sure we have enough time together."

"Okay. I'll make all the arrangements. You pack and just hang out for a while."

Dean wrapped his arms around her, one hand cradling the back of her head, and kissed her deeply for several minutes. When he released her, he took her hand and headed toward the house.

Back inside, Kathleen headed up the stairs. Dean stopped to explain to Booby and Sam.

"Hey, guys... Kathleen is on board, but there's something she wants to do before we go any further with this. We're gonna take off for a couple of days. When we get back she should be ready."

"Any chance we get to know what you guys are going off to do?" Sam asked.

"Not really. It's something personal for her, and I don't think she'll wanna share... Not yet. I'll be outside, I have to make a few phone calls before we head out."


	19. Chapter 19

The drive to the hotel took about two hours. Dean noticed that Kathleen kept talking most of the way. Something she didn't normally do. He figured she was nervous, and he couldn't blame her. She tried to talk about summoning the demon. Where would they do it? What happened when the demon arrived? Dean told her not to think about that.

Eventually, Kathleen realized how badly she was rambling and turned on the radio. She laid her head back and took a deep breath as Creedence Clearwater Revival filled the silence for her.

"You okay?" Dean asked.

"I'm fine."

Dean gave her a sideways glance with one eyebrow arched, and she knew he wasn't buying it.

"I'm nervous," she admitted.

"Come here." He extended his arm and wrapped it around her shoulder as she scooted closer. "You didn't seem this nervous this morning."

"This morning just kind of happened. I didn't have time to think about it so much."

"You changing your mind?"

"No... No, I've just got butterflies."

"Well, that's not necessarily a bad thing," he said with a grin.

It wasn't much longer before they pulled up to the hotel. Dean grabbed their bags and they walked up to the counter in the lobby. Kathleen took a good look around.

"Nice place."

"Best I could get within two hundred miles."

Their room was on the fifth floor. Dean opened the door and let Kathleen in first. There was a love seat and a chair facing a tv hanging over a fireplace to the right. To the left, through a set of french doors, was the bedroom with a king size bed. Straight ahead was a balcony that looked out over a small lake. Kathleen opened the doors and stepped out onto the balcony. It was a relaxing and peaceful sight. Dean walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and holding her tight.

"Thank you so much for this."

"You deserve it."

He kissed her cheek, and she leaned back into him. She shivered a bit from the chill in the air, and Dean wrapped his arms around her more, drawing her into a protective cocoon, made by his body.

"Maybe we should get the fireplace going," Dean said.

"That sounds nice."

Dean went over to the fireplace and Kathleen walked up behind him, putting her hand into his jean pocket.

"Hey," he said with a grin.

"I'm just getting your phone." She turned the phone off. "No interruptions. Mine is already off." She walked over to the door to put out the 'Do Not Disturb' sign, but it wasn't there. She opened the door to peek outside and saw it was already on the outside of the door.

"I did that when we came in," Dean said.

When Kathleen made her way back to the sitting area, Dean had the fireplace going and was sitting on the love seat, his arms stretched open across the back. She could swear there was a gleam in his eyes as he smiled, watching her come to him. She straddled his lap, putting her hands on his shoulders, then sliding outward along his arms, bringing her face closer to his as she reached for his hands. She stayed that way for a moment, just staring into his eyes, before taking his hands and pulling his arms around her. Her hands glided back up his arms and she lowered her head onto his shoulder. A deep sigh escaped her lips as Dean began to rub her back.

"I love being in your arms." She pulled back to sit up. "You're gonna have to guide me through this, you know?"

He smiled at her, placing one of his hands on the side of her head and letting it slide down to her face, pushing her hair back as he went.

"You're doing okay, so far."

"I'm serious, Dean."

"So am I. Just do what you feel. Let me know when you like something," he said with a grin, "and let me know when you don't. I'll do the same. For example, I like that you came over and sat in my lap. Very sexy." She blushed a little and he let his hand glide over her jean-clad thigh. "I also liked the way you were kissing my neck yesterday morning. You should do that again," he said with a wink.

Kathleen brushed her thumb over Dean's cheek before letting her hand run down to his neck. He watched as her eyes followed her hand. She was thinking too much, but he needed her to think. Her making these memories more powerful than the one of the demon was more important than anything.

She thought about how she had kissed his neck before. She hadn't done much more than press her lips against him. How did Dean kiss her neck? She could remember feeling the tip of his tongue graze against her skin as his lips moved. She tried to mimic that, and after a few kisses she was rewarded with a soft, low moan from Dean.

"I like that sound," she said, still kissing his neck. She kissed up to his lips where they lingered for a few minutes. Dean's hands were both on her thighs, slowly moving up to grab her hips. "What other noises can I get you to make?" she asked.

"I bet I can get you to make more."

"I believe it... that's why we're here and not at Bobby's."

Kathleen shifted her weight a little and Dean gripped her hips tighter.

"Careful. If you wanna go slow that's a dangerous move."

"I'll keep that in mind." She kissed him again, running her fingers down his chest. When she pulled away to catch her breath, she closed her eyes and rested her forehead against his. "I want your hands all over me. That's all I keep thinking about is where your hands are gonna be."

"You ready to find out?"

"More than ready. Just remember that I'm... I've never..."

Dean kissed her and smiled. "I'll take care of you." He kissed her slowly as his hand slid beneath her shirt, sliding up her side and around her back.

His other hand followed and he lifted her shirt up and over her head, breaking their kiss. Kathleen began pulling at Dean's shirt and he quickly removed it. He put her arms around his neck, then wrapped his arms back around her waist and held her tight.

"Hang on."

With Kathleen still in his lap, he pushed himself to the edge of the sofa and stood. She wrapped her legs around his waist and began kissing his neck again as he headed toward the bedroom. Dean sat on the edge of the bed and started undoing Kathleen's jeans. He paid close attention to her reaction, making sure she was okay since this was a new step. She slid her hands down his arms until she reached his. For a moment, he thought she was trying to stop him, but her fingers began working the button on his jeans.

Dean stood and laid Kathleen down on the bed. He removed his jeans before pulling Kathleen's from her legs. As he crawled back over her, he placed random kisses all over her body.

"You are so beautiful."

He sat back and pull her into his lap again. Now, without their jeans, she could feel him pressed against her. She moved her hips slightly, loving the sensation, but Dean grabbed her hips.

"What did I say about doing that?"

"That it was dangerous," she said breathlessly. "I like danger."

"I wanna make this last for you."

"I don't know how much more I can take." She grabbed his face in her hands. "When I reach that place for the first time... I want you inside me."

Kathleen smiled at the look on his face. It was a mixture of surprise and passion. She felt him pressing harder against her now, and his hands were at her back, undoing her bra. He quickly sent it sailing across the room and captured her breast in his mouth. She moaned and her head fell back as she lightly rocked back and forth.

"Dean..."

The want in her voice drove Dean crazy. He pulled back and watched her grind slowly against him before flipping her onto her back. He pulled her panties off and removed his own underwear before settling over her again. He lifted one of her legs and hooked it around his waist before brushing the hair back from her face.

"Look at me, okay? Keep your eyes open."

She nodded, and he kissed her lips before slowly pushing into her. She let out a small cry and gripped his shoulders, closing her eyes.

"Hey, hey... look at me, Kate."

She opened her eyes again, and stared into Dean's. She felt her body shiver as he pushed deeper. Her back arched off of the bed and her whole body began to tremble. She closed her eyes again as she dug her fingers into his arms, letting out a scream as he filled her completely. He stilled his movements, letting her recover while he kissed her neck. She was breathing heavily, trying to catch her breath. Her hand ran through her hair, then down to Dean's head. He began to move again, slowly.

"Oh, my... Dean..."

He picked up his pace and she started writhing beneath him. She felt the sensation building in her again. The shiver, and then the trembling, but this time Dean was right there with her. He had one arm holding her leg around his waist as he buried his face in her neck, his body jerking.

The arm holding her leg fell heavy against the bed next to her head. Both of them breathless, they kissed for several minutes before Dean flipped them over, pulling Kathleen to lay on top of him. He brushed her hair away from her face and rubbed his hands gently up and down her back. Kathleen kissed Dean's chest and lifted herself up to look into his eyes.

"I'm so glad I met you, Dean Winchester."

"Same her, Kate." He placed a quick, gentle kiss on her lips before wrapping his arms around her again, pulling her back down to his chest. "Same here."


	20. Chapter 20

Kathleen rolled onto her right side, laying close to Dean. He turned to face her and ran his hand down her side, resting it on her hip.

"You okay?" he asked.

"I'm great," she said with a satisfied smile.

"I didn't hurt you too much, did I?"

"Dean... you are so wonderful. You couldn't have been more gentle." She ran her hand through his hair and along his cheek. "Is it always this amazing?"

"Honestly... no. I've had my share of disappointments." He saw a look of concern on her face and knew she was wondering how she measured up to other women he had been with. "This definitely wasn't one of them. I just wish I'd been able to take more time with you... Next time." His hand left her hip and stroked her face.

"When will 'next time' be?"

"Whenever you're ready."

"I'm ready."

"Seriously? Don't you think you should wait a little while?"

"No... I want to feel you again."

"You will. We've got two nights alone here. Let's take our time." He kissed her deeply and slowly. "Why don't we wrap up in the sheets, grab some pillows, and go lay in front of the fireplace?"

"Okay," Kathleen said, smiling.

She watched as Dean got up and grabbed the comforter from the bed, folding it enough that he could easily carry it. He then picked up two pillows and went into the sitting area.

"You comin'?" he called over his shoulder.

Kathleen had almost been in a trance, watching Dean in all his glory. She let hers eyes linger, memorizing every detail. "Coming."

She wrapped herself in the sheet and gathered it in her hand so she wouldn't trip, then grabbed two more pillows. When she made it to the sitting area, Dean had the comforter spread out on the floor in front of the fireplace and he was laying on his back with his hands under his head, ankles crossed. She laid down next to him, as they had been in the bed, and he turned to her, tugging at the fabric wrapped around her.

"Why don't you lose the sheet?"

"The sheet was your idea."

"I know... I changed my mind. Show me your tattoo," he said with a mischievous smile. "I got a glimpse of it before, but I wasn't really focused on it."

Kathleen unwrapped herself from the sheet. The way Dean stared at her made her a little self-conscious.

"The tattoo is on my hip, Dean."

"Yeah, I know." He smiled at her before sitting up slightly to look at the tattoo. He put his hand on her hip and ran his thumb over the anti-possession tattoo. It looked just like his, only smaller. He lowered his lips to it and begin to kiss her there, gently squeezing his way down her thigh with his hand.

Kathleen closed her eyes and let out a sigh. Dean gently pushed her onto her back as he kissed his way up her body. His hands glided over her. She eagerly waited for his lips to reach hers. Her hands caressed his face as he kissed her.

Dean reached over her and pulled the sheet over both of them. She immediately pulled the sheet down to Dean's waist.

"What happened to losing the sheet?"

"I got a good enough look, for now," Dean said with a smirk.

"Who says I did? Maybe I wanna get a better look."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Close your eyes... Do you see me walking out of the bedroom with the comforter?"

Kathleen grinned, her eyes closed.

"Yeah," Dean said, "I know you were watching me. And with your memory..." They both laughed. "I kinda like the idea that you can see me naked anytime you want."

"I still want to see you with my eyes open."

Dean smiled at her. "I think you should turn around so I can hold you better."

Kathleen turned over to lay on her other side, snuggling back into Dean. He wrapped his arm around her, holding her hand close to her face. The warmth from the fire in front of her, with the warmth of Dean's body behind her, made her feel safe and content.

They laid there for over an hour. Neither of them said a word. The time was filled with kissing and touching, and lots of smiling. Dean was on his back, with Kathleen snuggled close, when he finally broke the silence.

"You hungry?"

"I could eat."

"Room service?"

"Of course... I never want to leave this room."

Dean smiled, kissing her as he got up to head to the bathroom. He came back in a thick, white robe, with another in his hand.

"Here," he said, holding the robe out to her. "Don't want those room service guys sneaking a peek."

He grabbed the room service menu and sat on the love seat. Kathleen, now in a robe, joined him.

Dean smiled, "See, this is the key. You find a place that's nice, but not so nice they won't give you a cheeseburger."

"What a shocker... Dean Winchester orders a cheeseburger. Sounds good though. Just order two."

Dean put his arm around her. "I knew there was a reason I like you."

Kathleen sat back down on the floor in front of the fireplace while Dean ordered and took the 'Do Not Disturb' sign in. He joined her on the floor until there was a knock at the door. She watched as the food cart was rolled in.

"Good evening."

Kathleen got up and sat on the love seat. The man uncovered the plates so Dean could check the order.

"Those look great," Dean said. He grabbed his wallet and gave the man a tip.

"Thank you, sir." As he turned to leave, he noticed the sheet and comforter on the floor. He quickly glanced to the bed. "Would you like me to send house keeping in with clean bedding?"

"Yes," Kathleen said, "we would appreciate that."

The man nodded and closed the door behind himself when he left. Dean cleared the area in front of the fireplace, putting the pillows back on the bed and throwing everything else on the floor. He rolled the cart in front of the love seat and handed Kathleen her plate before joining her. They were still eating when house keeping came in to change the bed.

When they were done eating, Dean rolled the cart into the hall and put the 'Do Not Disturb' sign back on the door. He sat back down next to Kathleen who laid on her back with her head in Dean's lap and her legs hanging over the arm of the love seat. Dean ran his hand through her hair.

"I think I'll take a shower," she said, "before we hit those clean sheets." She pulled her legs in, putting her feet flat on the cushion. When she bent her knees, the bottom of her robe fell open, drawing Dean's attention. He slid his hand up the outside of her thigh, gently coaxed her legs apart, and moved his hand down the inside of her thigh, finally resting on her knee with a light squeeze. He looked down to see her staring into his eyes.

"Come here," he said.

She sat up and kissed his lips. She made a move to sit in his lap, but, when she looked down, she saw that Dean was breaking free through the opening of his robe. Retuning her eyes to his, she ran her hand over him, causing him to inhale sharply. He pulled her into his lap, quickly undoing both their robes, and took her there. It was heated and forceful, and she found it hard to catch her breath as she gripped the back of the love seat.

When it was over, Dean held her there. She laid her head against his shoulder. She felt as if she couldn't move, even if she wanted to.

"Why don't you go take your shower?" Dean said. "I'm gonna call Sam, just to let him know that we're okay, in case he's been trying to call."

When Kathleen stood, her legs buckled and Dean reached out to catch her.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, just, uh... a little weak, I guess."

Dean couldn't hide the smirk on his face. "Sorry about that."

"Don't apologize. It was worth it."

"Can you walk?" He chuckled as he asked the question, drawing a look from Kathleen.

"I think I can manage." She fastened her robe and took a tentative step, testing her legs. When she heard Dean chuckle again, she began to walk normally, though her legs were a bit shaky.

When she got out of the shower, she put on a pair of panties and a t-shirt. Dean heard her come out of the bathroom and had his things ready for his turn. He put an arm around her waist as he passed her.

"Damn, sweetheart. You are gorgeous."

He kissed her before heading into the bathroom. Kathleen made sure the fireplace was off before climbing into bed. Once she settled into the warm, clean sheets, she started to doze off, until she felt Dean climb in next to her. He pulled her close.

"You wimpin' out on me, Kate?"

She didn't even open her eyes. "I'm exhausted. I need some recovery time."

Dean held her tight, and she was soon asleep. Dean was still awake, thinking. Relieved that she made it through without any flashes of the demon. He smoothed her hair away from her face. They still had one more night together, just the two of them, then it would be back to business.


	21. Chapter 21

Kathleen woke up the next morning completely tangled with Dean. They were facing each other, her face slightly into his neck and his cheek resting against her head. His left arm was under her head, curled around her back. Her left arm was thrown over Dean, with his right arm over her. Dean's right leg was over Kathleen's right leg, while her left hooked over his. She felt like a pretzel, and while she liked being this close to Dean, she was a bit uncomfortable. It wasn't until she pulled her leg from his that she realized it wasn't her position making her uncomfortable. She was sore.

When she tried to roll onto her back, the movement woke Dean up.

"Where you goin'?"

"I was considering going to look for bruising. I'm so sore."

She expected to see a smirk on Dean's face. Instead, he gently pulled her face back to his and kissed her.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart."

"It's not your fault. Well, I guess it kinda is." She smiled at him and got him to smile back. "Seriously, though... You were great. In every way."

"So were you."

Dean kissed her deeply as he pulled her on top of him. When she looked into his eyes, she recognized the look she saw there.

"Dean, I don't think I can do this again so soon."

"I want you... so bad."

She moved to Dean's side, and her hand disappeared beneath the sheet. Dean's body reacted to her touch and she kissed him. She kissed his neck, then down his chest and stomach. Dean threw the sheet back so he could see her face as she went lower, finally taking him into her mouth. Dean slammed his head down onto his pillow.

"Son of a bitch!"

His hands went into her hair, slowing her just a little, as he moaned over and over. When they finished, Kathleen kissed her way back up his torso and Dean pulled her back to his lips. He was breathing heavily, but he managed to kiss her with a passion that took her breath away.

"Are you sure you've never done that before?" he asked.

"Never."

"Damn, sweetheart."

They laid there for a few minutes before Dean made his way into the bathroom. Kathleen ordered breakfast from room service. After they ate, Dean rolled the cart into the hall, and Kathleen, in her robe, walked out onto the balcony. The cool morning air was warmed by the bright sun, but the breeze from the lake brought a chill. She sipped her coffee to help stay warm. Dean walked out and stood next to her, leaning back against the railing.

"That's a serious look on your face, Katie." She smiled at Dean's use of her father's nickname for her, but her gaze stayed on the lake. "You didn't say much over breakfast. What's up?"

"Just trying to mentally gear myself up for what's coming next."

"What's coming next in this room, or when we get back?"

Kathleen almost rolled her eyes. "When we get back."

"I thought we weren't gonna talk about that here."

"I have to. I have to plan..."

"You can't plan for your reaction, Kate. And I know that's what you're trying to do. You don't know what's coming out of that demon's mouth, so you don't know how you'll react."

"It's not just that."

"Then, what?"

"Once we have him... what do I do? I've thought about it for years: what I'd say and do. It changes every time. And when it's over, do I exorcise it... or kill it?" She looked at Dean. "Is there a way to tell if the person a demon is possessing is already dead?"

"I don't know. I never really thought about it."

"I don't think I can kill a person to get revenge on a demon."

"Then you're a better person than most hunters I've met. Me included."

"You're a good person, Dean. You helped me, didn't you?"

"Yeah," Dean smiled, "but I got something outta that."

Kathleen smiled, but shook her head. "You always find a way to cheapen it." She turned her eyes back to the lake, letting out a long breath. "I think it's time to head back to Bobby's."

"You sure? We have the room one more night."

She nodded, "I'm sure."

Something had changed. Dean could tell something was different with her, just since earlier in the morning.

"Are you okay? Did I do something to make you mad?"

"I'm not mad, Dean. I'm just... I don't know. Scared... nervous. I've waited fifteen years for this, and it's finally gonna happen. And I feel lost."

"They say revenge is sweet, but I don't think that's true. Maybe for a minute. That's it. It doesn't make the pain or the memories go away... Especially in your case. So don't look at it that way. You get rid of this bastard to stop it from doing to anyone else what it did to you. You'll find some satisfaction there."

Kathleen wrapped her arms around Dean's waist and laid her head against him.

"Thank you. For everything."

"You're welcome."

Soon, they were on the road, headed back to Bobby's. The ride was quiet, other than the classic rock coming from the radio. Something was weighing heavy on Kathleen. Dean could see it, but he didn't bring it up. He figured that she would talk if she wanted to.

Sam and Bobby were gone when they got back, so they waited. Dean grabbed a beer and watched some television. Kathleen sat at Bobby's desk, pretending to read. Her mind was racing, but she didn't want to talk about any of it. One thing she knew she couldn't talk about, especially not with Dean. He would try to talk her out of it. She knew Sam and Bobby would probably try too, but she could resist them. She wasn't sure about Dean. But she thought it best for everyone.

When Sam and Bobby got back, Sam was carrying a duffel. He was surprised to see Dean and Kathleen there.

"When did you two get back?"

"About an hour ago," Dean said.

"Did everything go okay?"

"I'm good," Kathleen said.

"Where you coming from?" Dean asked.

"Bobby and I went to get the ingredients he had locked away. The only thing left is the bone." Sam looked over at Kathleen. "You sure you wanna come along on this?"

"Very."


	22. Chapter 22

Bobby stayed home while Sam, Dean, and Kathleen went to her home town to dig up her old boyfriend. It was a ten hour drive. Sam had done a bit of research before they left to find out where he was buried. Walking through the cemetery, Kathleen was quiet. She put all her energy into not freaking out when they dug up the body.

"Found it!" Sam called.

Dean and Kathleen met up with Sam at a gravestone.

"In Loving Memory," Kathleen read quietly. "Not my memories." She threw her bag aside and roughly jammed her shovel into the dirt. Sam and Dean exchanged a glance, but followed her lead and began to dig.

It was Dean who finally hit their goal. Sam and Kathleen climbed out so Dean could break the coffin open. Kathleen stood at the edge of the hole in the ground, staring at what had once been the body of Timothy Hale, her boyfriend.

Dean looked up at Sam. "We need any particular bone?"

"No, it just calls for a bone."

"Awesome."

Dean began to feel around for a small, detached bone when Kathleen spoke up.

"Dean, can you loosen the lining of the coffin?"

He paused with a confused look on his face at the odd request, but he examined the lining.

"With my knife, maybe. Yeah, I think so. Why?"

"Pull the whole thing out. Wrap everything in it... bones, hair..."

"You wanna burn it?"

"When we're done, yes. And I don't wanna have to do this again."

Dean nodded. "Sam, come help me."

Sam climbed back down into the grave, and he and Dean made sure they got all of Tim's bones into the lining. Kathleen threw her empty bag to them and they shoved it all inside.

After they were all out of the grave, Dean lit a match book and threw it into the open, now empty, coffin. It would get rid of any of Tim's DNA that remained in the coffin, as well as any fingerprints they had left behind.

Dean carried the bag back to the car and put it in the trunk. He passed Kathleen as he went around to the driver's door.

"You okay?"

"I'm fine."

She glanced at him, only briefly, and quickly climbed into the back seat. Dean knew she wasn't fine, but what could he do?

"I don't think any of us will make a ten hour trip back to Bobby's," Dean said, climbing behind the wheel. "I'm gonna find a motel."

"Sounds good to me," Sam said.

Kathleen said nothing. She just stared out of the window into the darkness.

When they pulled into the motel, Sam went in to get the room, and Kathleen followed. Dean grabbed their bags out of the car.

"Sam," Kathleen said, "I'm gonna get my own room, so don't worry about asking for a couch, okay?"

"You sure you wanna be alone?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. I mean, Crowley's not after me anymore, so my life isn't on the line, right?"

"I guess." Sam turned to the clerk. "Can we get two rooms, right next to each other? At least one of them has to have two beds."

The clerk turned to his computer. "Sure thing."

Dean handed Sam his bag as he walked out of the office, and Kathleen took hers. When she stopped at her room, but Sam kept walking, Dean looked a little confused.

"Where you goin'?" he asked Sam.

"To our room," Sam said, stopping in front of their door. Dean turned back to Kathleen as she stepped into her room.

"You got a separate room?"

"Yeah. I wanna be alone for a while."

She started to close the door, but Dean slammed his hand against it.

"You sure I didn't do something to piss you off? You've been quiet since breakfast.

Kathleen let herself get angry. "Is that a crime? Can't a person have some quiet time to think? Or would you rather I go around singing and skipping while I dig up the body of my old boyfriend?"

Dean looked around to make sure no one heard Kathleen's raised voice, then he talked in a hushed tone.

"Okay, okay... are you sure you wanna be alone? You don't want me to come in for a while?"

Kathleen glanced over at Sam, who was still standing outside their room. "I think you should go with your brother, Dean."

She closed the door and laid her head back against it. As she listened to Dean walk away, leaving a curse hanging in the air, a tear slipped down her cheek. It wasn't so easy anymore to be cold to Dean, but she had to be, or he would never let her go.

Dean didn't know what to think. He and Kathleen had gotten so close, and now it felt like she was pulling away again. He knew she was dealing with some serious emotions, but those emotions were what pulled them together. So, why would they be driving them apart now?

He was lying on top of the bed while Sam was gathering some things to take a shower. Dean suddenly got up and headed for the door.

"Hey," Sam said, "where you goin'?"

"To talk to Kate."

"Dean, she wants to be alone."

Dean walked back toward his brother. "We got close, Sam. Really close. Now it's like she's pulling away again."

"She's dealing with a lot of stuff, Dean. Just give her some room."

Dean gave in, and eventually everyone was settled in for the night. The next morning, Dean knocked on Kathleen's door. He smiled at her when she answered.

"Mornin'."

"Good morning."

"We're gonna head out in a few. You ready?"

"Ready when you are."

Dean tried to make conversation to get Kathleen to talk about what was bothering her, but she barely said anything. It ended up being Dean and Sam who did most of the talking.

Back at Bobby's, he had everything set up and ready to go. Kathleen was relieved. She wanted to get this over with. She still had no clue what she would do... how she would react... but she wanted it done. She wanted to move on.

The four went down to the basement. Bobby followed Crowley's instructions to the letter. He recited the last line of the incantation, threw the match into the mixture... no demon.

"That lying bastard," Dean growled.

Kathleen stared at the empty spot beneath the devil's trap painted on the ceiling. She was trying to figure out if she felt more angry or relieved when she heard a hesitant voice behind her.

"Kathleen?"

Dean, Sam, and Bobby immediately turned around, but Kathleen's eyes grew wide, and her hand started to tremble. She slowly turned around and began shaking her head when she saw what was in front of her. Dean saw her reaction.

"What's wrong, Kate?"

"That's Tim."

Dean picked up the closest iron object he could find and swung, but Tim shouted, "Wait," then flickered away. He reappeared just a few feet over.

"Wait! I'm not here to hurt anyone. I don't know why I'm here."

"Well," Dean said, "I guess we kinda summoned you here."

Tim and Kathleen stared at each other, but she eventually looked away, unable to look at him without the memories of that night flooding back in gory detail. She turned to run back up the stairs, but Tim called to her.

"I'm so sorry, Kathleen! It wasn't me."

Kathleen stopped, but didn't turn around. Tim kept talking.

"I don't know how I got possessed, but I did. I tried to fight it. It kept telling me it would kill you, but I saw what it was trying to do, so I fought against it... until it killed me. I guess it got tired of putting up with me."

"You saw what it wanted to do?" Kathleen asked, turning, but still not looking at him. "What was that?"

"It wanted to have sex with you."

"Why?"

"It just said it would be fun. Something about you being a virgin."

She finally looked at him. "Tim... that demon killed my parents. Almost killed me. I've been trying to find it, to kill it. The spell that just summoned you, we were told it would be a way for us to find the demon. Can you help us? Can you help me?"

A tear fell down her cheek as she fought to keep her emotions in check.

"I have a name."

Kathleen turned to the other three. "That's enough, right?"

"More than," Bobby said.

"His name is Lancaster." Tim glanced sadly at Kathleen. "I did like you, Kathleen. A lot. I'm sorry you had to go through that. I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough to beat that thing."

"You tried," Kathleen said. Tears were now flowing freely down her face. "It's not your fault, Tim."

Tim flickered and disappeared. This time for good. Dean walked up behind Kathleen and squeezed her shoulder.

"You gonna be okay?"

She wiped her tears. "Yeah. I just need some time. If it's okay with you guys, I think the demon can wait until tomorrow."

They all nodded.

"Of course," Sam said.

Kathleen headed up the stairs. She turned back one time to look at Dean. She almost asked him to stay with her for the night, but she kept walking. No sense in turning back now.


	23. Chapter 23

Kathleen made her way outside. Sunset was almost over, leaving the sky shades of pink and orange on the far horizon. She walked around until she found an old convertible with its top down. The inside was dirty. It looked like it had been rained in quite a few times. Kathleen opened the passenger side door and ran her hand over the seat. Not as bad as it looked. She sat in the car and reclined the seat, staring up at the sky. She wasn't out there long before she heard Sam calling for her, so she sat the seat back up. Sam caught sight of her and jogged over to the car.

"Hey, Bobby was asking about the bones. Do you still want to burn them?"

"Yeah, but I think we should wait."

"Until we get the demon?"

Kathleen nodded. Sam walked over to the driver's side and got in.

"Dean thinks you're mad at him."

"I'm not."

"Then, what's up? I have to admit, something is different. You two went from wanting to kill each other, to going off alone and confiding in each other... now it's like you're barely talking. I know you're going through a lot, but don't shut us out. Especially not Dean. Trust me, he cares about you."

Kathleen sighed. "I'm gonna miss you, Sam."

He couldn't hide the surprise on his face. "You're leaving?"

"After we get the demon, yeah... I'm leaving. Can't hang around with you guys the rest of my life, can I?"

"I don't know. I wouldn't mind. Don't think Dean or Bobby would either. In fact, I kinda thought you would stick around instead of going back to hunting solo."

"I'm not going back to hunting at all. I'm getting out."

"Really? After all these years?"

"I got into this to get the demon that killed my family. For a while it was the only thing I had, but I never really enjoyed it."

"You sure about that? You looked like you enjoyed taking off those vamp heads." Sam gave her a sly smile, and she couldn't help but smile back.

"Okay, sometimes I enjoy the job, but, like I said, it was all I had. Dean helped me realize that I can open up to someone. I want that."

"Speaking of Dean, have you told him you're leaving?"

"No, I haven't. I think he's gotten a little protective of me, and he'll try to stop me. But he's gotta be tired of babysitting me and dealing with my emotional drama."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that. Dean doesn't hide aggravation very well. I think he enjoys having you around lately."

Kathleen seemed to think about that for a moment. "Well, I'm tired of playing the damsel in distress, running to Dean for emotional support."

"What will you do?"

"Get a normal job. Rent an apartment, I guess. And hopefully meet someone who doesn't mind that I don't talk about my past a lot."

Neither of them saw Dean approaching the car from behind. He hung back a bit, listening to them talk for a while before he finally chimed in.

"So," Dean said, "just like that? You're out?" Sam and Kathleen turned as he came up on Sam's side of the car, resting his hands on the door. "You don't care about all the people you could save if you stay in the game?"

"That's not my responsibility, Dean. I can't save the world."

"No, but you can save some of it. You know what's really out there. That knowledge makes you responsible."

"I'm not gonna argue with you, Dean. And, not to be rude, but I came out here to be alone for a while, so, if you don't mind..."

"That's all you've wanted for the last two days..."

Sam opened the door, pushing Dean away from the car. He grabbed Dean by the shoulders and pulled him back toward the house. Kathleen laid her seat back down to get out of sight. She covered her face with her hands, fighting the tears that wanted to fall. She couldn't keep this up. She told herself she should have known better. Now she would never forget the way Dean held her, and kissed her, and made love to her. The idea that she could sleep with him and confide in him without falling in love with him was absurd. She had lied to herself, thinking she wouldn't feel anything. She had to get away before her already battered heart became completely broken by a man who would never truly love her back. Sure, she thought, he might care for her, and she could stick around and they would sleep together and have moments like they had at the hotel, but he would never love her. She had to leave.

"Twenty-four hours," she said to herself. She stared up at the night sky, filled with stars, trying to ignore the fact that Dean now thought she was a coward for quitting. Though she had no real intention of quitting. She'd hunt again, far away from Dean.

Sam shoved Dean back into the kitchen. Bobby was sitting at the table and looked up at the ruckus. Dean kept trying to pull away from Sam all the way into the house, but Sam kept pushing him along.

"I told you when we met her that she had mood swings!" Dean yelled. "I don't get it!"

"Dean, why does she suddenly want to leave?"

"Who's leavin'?" Bobby asked.

"Kate," Dean said.

"Where's she goin'?"

Sam held his hand up. "I'll fill you in later, Bobby." He turned back to Dean. "She said she's not mad at you, but something must have happened while you were away. What did you two go do?"

Dean hesitated, his eyes shifting back and forth from Sam to Bobby. "We went to a hotel."

"For what?"

"What do you think, genius?"

Bobby stood. "Boy, have you lost your mind? You know what she went through."

"Yes, and that's why we did it." They stared at him like they couldn't believe what he was saying. "It was her idea, okay!"

"Dean," Sam said, "you've been trying to get in her pants since you first laid eyes on her."

"It wasn't like that."

"Well, then, what was it like?"

Dean didn't answer. Sam knew he was covering up how he really felt. He pulled Dean into the other room, away from Bobby, and whispered. "You're not fooling me Dean. I know you care for her. The question is, how much?"

He eyed Dean for a minute, but Dean just stared back at him, stone faced. "See," Sam said, "I think it's a lot, but you're scared."

"Get out of here," Dean said. He tried to push past Sam, but Sam blocked him.

"I'm right, aren't I?"

"Move Sam."

Dean stared him down until he stepped aside. He went to the fridge and grabbed a beer.

"So, you're just gonna let her go when this is over?"

"Who am I to stop her?"

Outside, in the convertible, Kathleen had drifted off to sleep. Memories of Dean's hands on her body played like a movie she had seen a million times. They were on the floor in front of the fireplace when she heard a voice that didn't belong.

"Kathleen," the voice called. She ignored it until she felt herself being shaken, and awoke with a start. "Sorry," Sam said. "You fell asleep. You've been out here for a few hours, so I wanted to check on you. You should come in."

"Thanks."

She got out of the car and they walked in together. Sam didn't tell her that he had heard her calling out Dean's name. So he also couldn't tell her that it sounded like she was enjoying herself. He was beginning to put things together, and he had an idea that both Dean and Kathleen cared more about each other than either I them would admit.


	24. Chapter 24

Kathleen was surprised at how well she slept that night. Seeing Tim, and knowing that he fought the demon, helped her find some peace. It was always his face she saw in her memories, but, somehow, talking to him again helped her to stop blaming him.

She went downstairs the next morning to find the others were already up.

"Is everybody ready?"

"You just woke up," Sam said. "You don't want some food or something first?"

"No. I want this over with."

"Sure," Dean said walking past her toward the basement. "The sooner this is done, the sooner you can leave... right?" He didn't wait for a response, he just headed down the stairs. Bobby followed.

Kathleen stared after him, then looked at Sam. "You know, I thought he might try to talk me into staying or give me a hard time, but he's really angry with me for wanting to leave. I don't get it."

"I told you," Sam said, "Dean cares about you. He's not angry with you, he's just upset that you want to leave. I honestly believe that he thought you two had something. And I think you thought the same thing..."

Sam watched as a look of sadness crossed over Kathleen's face as she turned away, and the realization hit him. His eyes turned soft as he watched her.

"Or," he said, "maybe you didn't. Maybe you felt more than you expected to and you don't think Dean feels the same way. So, you're running away. To protect yourself."

When her eyes shot back to his, he knew he was right. He didn't get a chance to prove it, though. Bobby called for them and they went down to the basement. Bobby and Dean almost had the place set up, so Sam and Kathleen just waited. Bobby performed the ritual. It was one they were all familiar with since they had all used it before on different demons. If you knew which demon you were looking for, this was the spell you wanted.

It didn't fail. A man appeared under the devil's trap. He looked to be in his mid-twenties. His eyes immediately went black, taking in his sudden, new surroundings. The blackness of his eyes went away when they fell on Kathleen.

"Well, I'll be damned... If it isn't the one who got away. My little Kathleen."

She felt like she wanted to vomit. The demon was already messing with her head.

"Cut the crap. I only want to know why. What did you want with me? Why did you kill my parents?"

The demon ignored her, letting his eyes roam over her. "I thought about tracking you down," it said. "Picking up where we were interrupted... but you got involved with hunters."

"Answer her questions!" Dean yelled.

"I have a specialty, you might say... defiling pretty little virgins." The demon tilted his head, still eying Kathleen. "But you're not a virgin anymore, are you? What a shame."

Kathleen glanced at Dean as he instinctively moved closer to her, though there was still some distance between them. The demon saw and let out a sarcastic laugh. "You're kidding? You let Dean Winchester into your pants?" Kathleen couldn't help but look to Dean. "I recognize that look, Kathleen," the demon said. "You looked at me... well, you looked at Tim that way once."

Dean was getting angry. "Why don't you answer her questions or shut up."

"What's the matter, Dean? Don't you want to know how she feels about you? You are in love with him, aren't you Katie?"

"Don't call me that, you bastard!"

"Oh, that's right. Only daddy can call you Katie." The demon saw as Dean glanced at Kathleen. "Or have you let Dean, here, call you Katie?"

Kathleen was done. She stepped to the edge of the devil's trap, practically toe to toe with the demon. "Why did you kill my parents?"

"Because we were interrupted, and daddy was already getting suspicious of me. He saw the changes in Tim."

"What are you talking about?

"Demonic possession... Daddy was a hunter." Shock spread across Kathleen's face, as well as the others'. "Retired, of course," the demon continued, "but still dangerous. He's the one who called John Winchester, as it turns out. All for little ol' me."

Kathleen took a step back. "You're lying."

"Why would I lie about this? What would be the point?"

"To mess with her head," Dean said.

"Oh, there are much more fun ways to mess with her head," the demon smirked.

"Why did you kill Tim?" Kathleen asked.

"That little pest... all he did was fight. He was a distraction, so I got rid of him. A bit like this one," he said, holding out his arms, indicating his current body. "Killed him yesterday."

The grin on his face sickened Kathleen, but she managed a small smile. "Well, that's the first thing you've said that actually makes me happy."

"Really... you're happy I killed him?"

"No," Kathleen took a step forward as she quickly pulled out the demon knife and plunged it into the demon's gut, "I'm happy I don't have to kill him to kill you."

The demon screamed and clutched Kathleen's shoulders as its body jerked. Kathleen pulled the knife out, and pushed him away, the now vacant body falling to the floor. The entire incident ran through her head again. Everything the demon had said. Her father... a hunter. It was all too much. She broke down, falling to her knees.

Dean went to her. He knelt next to her, pulling her into his arms. Sam watched as Dean comforted her without saying a word.

"Bobby," Sam said, "why don't you take Kathleen up to her room so she can rest. Dean and I will clean up here."

Bobby nodded and went to help Kathleen to her feet. She and Dean locked eyes for a moment as she stood. She didn't see anger in his eyes as she had that morning. There was sadness, and something else.

Once she was upstairs, Sam started in on Dean. "I know why she wants to leave."

"Why?"

"She's in love with you, and she's scared because she doesn't think you feel the same way."

"Sam, you have to stop listening to demons."

"Forget the demon! I figured this out before the demon got here, and I'm right. And I know you care for her, too. Don't try to deny it."

"What do you want from me, man?"

"I want you to go up there and take a chance to make both of you happy."


	25. Chapter 25

Dean passed Bobby on the stairs to Kathleen's room.

"Where you goin'?" Bobby asked.

"Sam thinks I should talk to Kate."

"Don't pick a fight with her, boy."

"I won't, Bobby. We just need to talk."

Dean knocked on her door, but there was no answer. He slowly made his way into the room. She was lying on her bed, but she sat up when she saw Dean. He closed the door and sat on the edge of the bed.

"I'm not gonna ask you if you're okay. I know you're not."

"No, I'm not."

"You wanna talk about it?"

"Why wouldn't John tell me about my dad?"

"I don't know."

"Why wouldn't my dad tell me? Why did he hide all of this?"

"He was retired. He probably decided to get out when he met your mom. Or when she got pregnant with you. He probably didn't want you in this life."

Kathleen hugged her knees, thinking of her father. Dean had to work his way into the reason he came up.

"So, did you really love Tim?"

"As much as a fifteen year old can love her boyfriend."

Dean hesitated, unsure of how to continue. He figured straight forward was the way to go.

"Do you love me, Kate?"

She diverted her eyes. "You shouldn't believe everything a demon says, Dean."

"That's what I told Sam when he said it... until he told me he was thinking it before the demon showed up." Kathleen didn't respond, so Dean kept going. "He thinks you're in love with me, and that you think I don't feel the same way, so you're running... What if I told you that I realized I was falling in love with you while we were lying in front of the fireplace?"

"I'd ask if you're just telling me that, or if it's really true."

Dean put his hand on her ankle. "It's really true. I realized then that I could lay with you like that every night, just holding you."

"Some of the things you said... You made it seem like it was all about sex."

"Sweetheart, that is why we were there."

"I know, but... I was already falling for you."

"So you do love me?"

"Yes, I do."

"And I love you, Kate." He leaned over and kissed her gently.

"Dean, I'm so sorry I ruined these last two days. With everything that's happened, all I wanted was to be in your arms and have you tell me it would be okay."

"I heard you tell Sam you were tired of running to me for support."

"I lied. These last couple of days have been miserable for me... on so many levels."

Dean pulled off his shoes and slid up next to her on the bed. They laid down together and Dean wrapped his arms around her, holding her close.

"What about you quitting hunting? Do you still want out?"

"I never did, Dean. I thought you'd try to stop me if I told you I was going back to hunting alone. I figured you'd be more understanding if I said I wanted to quit altogether. I guess I was wrong about that."

"I just couldn't figure out what happened. Everything was going great... and then you started shutting me out again. Then you hit me with wanting to leave."

"Do you really love me, Dean?"

"Yes, I do."

"Then let's not talk about me leaving anymore. I'm not going anywhere. Just hold me a while."

She nuzzled her face into his neck, and the urge to kiss him was just too strong. Her lips kissed his skin wherever they could reach without her moving away. Desire washed over her when she heard Dean let out a breath, and she knew they had to stop. This wasn't the time. She kissed his lips lightly as she pulled back a little.

"We have to take care of Tim."

"You still wanna burn his bones?"

Kathleen nodded. "I wanna make sure he's at rest."

Sam watched as Dean and Kathleen came down the stairs hand-in-hand. He smiled to himself, silently praying that they were finally honest with each other... and themselves.

Kathleen insisted that they give Tim's remains a hunter's funeral. Now that she had the chance to speak to Tim, to know what he experienced, she realized that he was a victim just as much as she had been. More so. She held one of Dean's hands in both of her own as she watched the flames. He kissed her head, and she smiled.

The demon was dead. Tim was at peace. Now, so was Kathleen. She would never forget, but the memories would no longer drive her life. She had new memories, with Dean. Some were already made, some they still had to make. She would see to it that most of them were good memories.

Sam volunteered to handle cleaning up after the funeral. Dean and Kathleen walked through the yard.

"What do you say to us spending some time alone together?" Dean asked.

"Sounds great. Hotel?" she asked with a smile.

"I can try to get the same room if you want."

"Whatever's close. I don't wanna waste anymore time."

"There's actually a nice little place not that far from here. I've never stayed there, 'cause it's so close to Bobby's, but it looks like a nice place. Wanna check it out?"

"I'll go pack," she said with a smile.

**A/N: That's all for this one! Story complete. Let me know what you think!**


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